4 Shifting Loyalties
by Daintress
Summary: Sorry to disappoint you. I know there aren't any boys there worth looking at if I don't show up. Sirius flashed her his infamous grin, but her annoyed expression didn't falter. There aren't any worth looking at when you DO show up, either. AU since HBP
1. Chapter 1 Blue Jeans

Chapter 1 ~ Blue Jeans  
  
"I am NOT going home for Christmas this year! I don't care WHAT she threatens to do to me over the summer."  
  
Muriel stopped, amused, outside the compartment.  
  
"Don't worry, Sirius, you can come to my place for Christmas, Mum and Dad already said so." James looked sympathetically at his friend. Apparently his mother's parting words had been about Christmas.  
  
"Don't you think they'll have calmed down by then?" Peter asked timidly. In the corridor, Muriel rolled her eyes. For a pure blood, Peter was criminally ignorant.  
  
And from the snort of disbelief that Sirius let out, it would seem he agreed. "I've never SEEN them calm down, not since I got sorted into Gryffindor, anyway."  
  
Muriel risked a glance into their compartment to find that Remus, who hadn't spoken, was looking right at her. She smirked. "Not coming to the Christmas party this year, Black?" she asked scathingly. Really, she could hardly blame him. She was looking forward to skipping it too, but she wouldn't tell him that.  
  
Sirius looked up sharply. The words: 'Yeah, so you'll have to take care of yourself this time,' almost fell off his lips but he bit them back.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, Deesia. I know there aren't any boys there worth looking at if I don't show up." He flashed her his infamous grin, but her annoyed expression didn't falter.  
  
"There aren't any worth looking at when you DO show up, either." As she said it, she realized how far from the truth it was. His hair had grown out over the summer, and he had it pulled back in a loose pony tail. His face wasn't quite so thin, and even though he was sitting down, she could tell he'd grown at least another three inches. He wasn't the short, scrawny thing he'd been last year. Nevertheless, she flashed the boys a wicked grin and trounced back toward her cabin.  
  
The minute her eyes turned away, Sirius dropped his grin and stared angrily at the door. "Ungrateful wretch," he muttered. James and Peter had already broken out a chessboard and weren't paying attention, but Remus gave him an odd sort of look, which he pointedly ignored.  
  
A moment later they heard her voice again. "Lily?"  
  
James looked up instantly, his chess game forgotten.  
  
"Oh, hi. Muriel, right?" Lily knew Mur on sight, having spent the previous three years dodging the hexes she sent at the marauders, but they'd never been introduced. She held out her hand and the girl shook it.  
  
"You can call me Mur, most everyone does now. I wanted to ask you about your trousers, they're really nice." Muriel was looking at the blue jeans Lily was wearing, which were trimmed with intricate and colorful embroidery. Muriel hadn't seen anything so cleverly done that cost less than 20 galleons, and even then, you had to go someplace better than Diagon Alley if you wanted to find them.  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow. Muriel Deesia, a known mud blood hater had just shaken her hand and complimented her wardrobe. Was something going on here?  
  
Mur saw the look, and heard the thoughts behind it. "I'm in Ravenclaw with a whole slew of muggle-borns," she said politely. "I've gotten used to it." She smiled apologetically, and after a moment Lily smiled back.  
  
"They're blue jeans. I got them from a muggle store in London before we went to Diagon Alley."  
  
Muriel looked back down at the embroidery. "Maybe I'll owl Papa and see if he'll get me a pair," she said thoughtfully. "Well, I'd better get back before Sev comes looking for me. Nice to meet you," she said quickly. She didn't want Severus to come out and insult the girl, as he was likely to do.  
  
Lily nodded. "You too. Oh," she added, making Muriel turn back around. "Watch where you're slinging those hexes this year. Last year I almost caught three of them that were meant for Potter." Then she smiled again. "Not that I BLAME you for trying to curse the egotistical git!" Both girls laughed, then, and parted ways, each thinking that perhaps they'd made a new friend.  
  
When Muriel got back to the compartment where Severus was waiting for her, she caught an annoyed look on his face. "What?" she asked immediately.  
  
"Why were you talking to that mud blood, Evans? As if it isn't bad enough that you hang out with Marisa and the Ravenclaw girls, now you're making friends in Gryffindor, too?" He looked legitimately upset. She almost asked him why he'd been listening, but thought better of it.  
  
"Sev, if you continue to sound like my mother, you will find that I stop listening to you as well," she said, a trifle coldly. Muriel did NOT like to be questioned. "Besides, I've been friends with Remus since first year, so it isn't like Lily is the first decent Gryffindor I've met."  
  
Severus just looked at his friend, dumbfounded. Ever since she'd seen the dark mark on her mother's arm this summer, Mur had become more and more distant from the ideals she'd been brought up to believe in. He reminded himself silently that he had recoiled when he'd learned about his father's mark as well. He would just have to be tolerant. She would get passed this.  
  
He was rewarded for this conclusion with a smile, which he returned. If she had to hear his thoughts, he was glad they were those ones, instead of the ones he was suppressing about the fact that she'd referred to a marauder as a friend.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Muriel sat between Kyle and Marisa as the 1st years were sorted. She tried to nod at the right times, while Kyle whispered to them about the Quiddich team. She didn't pay much attention until she heard the words "open position."  
  
"Sorry, Kyle. Which positions did you say were open?" She turned to him as Marisa raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Just one chaser position this year," he answered. "Last year's seventh years weren't very interested in the game, I guess." He went on to talk about whoever that seventh year chaser had been. But Mur had the information she wanted and tuned him out again. She would get a chance to be on the team this year.  
  
Muriel and Marisa dragged themselves up the stairs to their room, worn out from the long train ride, and all the catching up they'd had to do at the feast. Neither of them felt like talking anymore. Muriel, in particular, was anxious to escape her dorm-mates polite inquiries about her summer.  
  
She couldn't very well admit that her mother had been involved in half the attacks on muggle-borns that had occurred, and the attacks were a major topic of conversation. She wondered briefly how Severus had dealt with it all this time, before realizing that he didn't have any mud blood friends to feel guilty around. Everyone he associated with was both pure blooded AND a supporter of Riddle.  
  
Muriel knew that Severus didn't want to be a Death Eater any more than she did. She just wasn't sure if he had the strength to resist. Mr. Snape had said, on more than one occasion, that he expected Sev to follow in his footsteps. Everyone seemed to think that he meant being on the board of trustees at Gringotts, or working for the Ministry on Experimental Charms. But Muriel had caught the worried look in her friend's eyes. They both knew that Mr. Snape had tagged Severus to be a Death Eater, and it was only a matter of time before the pressure started. Thinking of these things, Muriel fell fitfully to sleep, her mind already on what would happen next summer, when they had to go home again. 


	2. Chapter 2 The Howler

Chapter 2 ~ The Howler  
  
Muriel lowered her glass of juice slowly as her family owl, Gypsy, glided toward her, and tried to decide whether or not to run. She'd sent an owl to her father two weeks ago about the blue jeans she liked, and had yet to receive any response. She knew that meant he'd never gotten the owl. Her mother must have read the letter instead. Mother often took that long formulating her best insults.  
  
In the end, Muriel sat and waited for the red envelope that the bird dropped onto the table in front of her. With a shaking hand, she picked it up as Kyle looked down the table. "Mur's got a howler!" he exclaimed. Naturally everyone turned to look.  
  
She turned the letter over and broke the seal with her eyes screwed shut. Most howlers screeched or thundered through the Great Hall, but Mrs. Deesia's amplified words pounded the eardrums like great gusts of cold fury.  
  
"It is unbeLIEVable to me that you would write your father to ask for MUGGLE clothing. Do you think NOTHING of the family name that you wish to prance around dressed like a mud blood? Obviously your mind has been poisoned by the FILTH that you have chosen for friends. Unless you wish me to send you to Durmstrang where my uncle can look after you, you will stop cavorting with dirt like this Evans girl at ONCE."  
  
The letter burst into angry blue flames, and Muriel tried desperately to blink away her tears before anyone saw. But Lucius Malfoy had been watching her closely the whole time, and as the last echo of Mrs. Deesia faded, his voice could be heard ringing in the silent hall.  
  
"Serves you right for talking to a mud blood like Evans!" he exclaimed, with a haughty smirk towards the Gryffindors. An instant later, James Potter was on his feet, wand in hand.  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy!" The Ravenclaws sitting at the table between the Head Boy and Gryffindor's Finest cringed and scattered as Malfoy stood as well.  
  
Muriel cast a panicky look at Severus, who shrugged. What did he care if Malfoy hexed Potter into next Tuesday? But Muriel cared. As if the howler alone wasn't bad enough! With a swipe of her arm she cleared the table in front of her and jumped up on it. Her dorm mates squealed as the food landed in their laps, but that was the only sound in the hall. She ran half the length of the table to reach them.  
  
"Enough!" she said forcefully. Neither boy turned to look at her, and she saw James raise his wand. She stunned him quickly and turned to Malfoy, who looked shocked.  
  
"Stand down, Lucius, or you're next." A shudder ran through the room. Her voice was as cold and hard as her mother's had been. Even the professors, all of whom were on their feet, waited silently.  
  
There was a collective intake of breath as Lucius Malfoy lowered his wand. It wasn't that he didn't think he was more than a match for the upstart 4th year, only that his eye had caught the glint from his Head Boy badge, and he knew his father would be most displeased if he managed to lose it so soon in the year. He forced himself to smile. He could look very charming when he wanted to.  
  
"Sorry, Deesia," he said mildly. "Forgot myself for a moment. I wouldn't really have hexed him." In spite of his smile and tone, his eyes were cold.  
  
Muriel ignored him. As far as she was concerned nothing that came out of his mouth had any value at all. She was still remarkably angry about what he'd done to her bird, Rena, last year.  
  
"Listen everyone," she said into the quiet hall. "My mother and I are two different people. I - er - I'm going to ignore what she said, and I hope all of you will too." She stole a glance at the Slytherin table. Almost every mouth was hanging open. Severus was looking fixedly at the table with a hand over his eyes. This was the end of her shaky truce with the Slytherins, she knew. Malfoy had an unmatched look of fury on his face as he gave her one last glance and turned to sit down smartly, his back to her. She jumped down from the table and ran from the hall, and out onto the grounds as fast as she could go.  
  
She found a clump of bushes near the beautiful beech tree by the lake and hid herself in their shadow, where she couldn't be seen from the castle. It was here that Severus found her, nearly an hour later, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. She wasn't crying anymore, only waiting. She had known he would find her eventually.  
  
"Here," he said quietly, holding out an apple as he sat down beside her, and put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Thanks," she whispered. She hadn't managed to eat much before the mail arrived. She finished the apple gratefully. "What class are you missing?"  
  
"Dark Arts with the Hufflepuffs. Tantry will probably give me detention next time he sees me, but it's not like I'll miss anything I don't already know." Severus smiled weakly. Muriel only nodded. Severus could probably have taught that class. "Dumbledore gave you the day off classes. I heard him telling your Head of House."  
  
At this, Muriel looked up, a wry expression on her face. "Clever of him to announce it before I actually skipped them to make it look like he's in control," she said coldly. She was so glad Severus had come. He was the only person here who knew how to get her back on track again. Or maybe it wasn't what he said that did it. Maybe it was just that he had taken the time to find her that helped.  
  
He stood up and offered a hand. If she was off on Dumbledore again, then she was fine. She took it and stood, but didn't let him go as they walked back to the castle.  
  
Muriel wasn't looking forward to facing the rest of her house. She charmed her bed curtains to glow on the inside, a nifty trick her Aunt Rosa had shown her on her last visit, and pulled them tightly closed. There was a good bit that she needed to read for the first History of Magic essay anyway.  
  
Half an hour before dinner, Marisa came in looking for her. She had skipped lunch entirely and had every intention of skipping dinner as well. Marisa was not impressed by this decision.  
  
"Oh, come on Mur, have some courage! None of the Slytherins would dare make a scene after what happened this morning!"  
  
"Forget it, Marisa, courage is for Gryffindors. Tomorrow I'll do whatever you want, but today I'm not leaving this room for love or money. Have the house elves bring something up, if you're that worried." Muriel's voice, muffled as it was by the bed curtains, sounded determined, and Marisa harrumphed.  
  
"Alright, I'll send them up. How do I get into the kitchens?"  
  
"I've never been to the kitchens. Ask Severus."  
  
At this remark, Marisa threw Mur's curtains aside forcefully. "Are you insane? You think I'm going to walk over to that table today? Malfoy is in an awful snit!"  
  
"Well, if you don't have enough COURAGE for that, why not ask Black?" Muriel said slyly, closing her book with a snap. She grinned as her friend's face turned red. "I hear he's nicked food from the kitchens loads of times. I'm sure he'd take you down there."  
  
"Not if he knew it was for you, he wouldn't!" Marisa exclaimed, trying to cover her own embarrassment. The last thing in the world she wanted to do was approach Sirius Black. Of course, this WOULD be a good excuse to talk to him.  
  
Muriel wasn't so sure that Black would be averse to helping her out. He'd done it before. But she wasn't supposed to know who had helped her, so she just grinned. "Go on, ask him, I'm starving here!" She knew Marisa had been crushing on Black for ages, and was looking forward to hearing all about it when her friend got back.  
  
But when Muriel's curtains were thrown back half an hour later she was greeted, instead, by Lily Evans. "Hey, Mur," Lily said quietly.  
  
Muriel suppressed a groan. Lily was the last person she wanted to see today. She looked back down at her book as Marisa joined them, carrying a huge tray of all kinds of things that were not part of a proper meal. Mur couldn't help but smile as she set the tray down in the middle of her bed, and crawled up to sit cross-legged in front of her. Lily followed suit.  
  
Muriel knew what she had to say, so she swallowed her pride and said it. "Hi Lily. I'm really sorry about that howler."  
  
"It's alright, Mur, you more than made up for it when you embarrassed Malfoy. There's a party in our common room tonight in your honor." She laughed, and Muriel smiled.  
  
Lily was encouraged, so she let a sly grin cross her face. "I'd invite you, but I think the boys would declare mutiny and throw me overboard."  
  
"Potter wouldn't let them," Muriel said at once. Marisa stifled a chuckle as Lily scowled.  
  
"Yes, well, I don't need any help from him." Mur and Marisa exchanged a knowing glance, but kept their silence as Lily continued. "Anyway, the reason I came up was to let you know that my mum would be glad to pick you up a pair of jeans, if you'll just tell me what size you wear."  
  
Muriel smiled. That was really nice of her, but she'd already come up with a better plan. "That's alright, Lily. I've decided that I'll just do my own shopping from now on." She looked at her friends conspiratorially, and they leaned toward her. "Next Hogsmeade weekend, I'll just go to London and get the jeans myself." She whispered, grinning.  
  
"The Knight Bus?" Marisa asked, grimacing. She had ridden it once with her mother. They'd both gotten sick and sworn never to set foot near it again.  
  
"Certainly not!" Mur exclaimed distastefully. 'As if a Deesia would ever be caught dead on that thing!' she thought. "I'll just apparate from the alley behind the Hogs Head. No one will ever know I'm gone."  
  
"Aren't you afraid you'll splinch yourself?" Lily asked after an uncomfortable silence. She'd been reading up on apparation, and was not at all looking forward to taking her test at the end of next year.  
  
Muriel laughed. "I've been doing it for years. Don't tell, all right? If anyone asks, I'll say your mother got them for me." Lily looked rather uncomfortable at this. Why not just let her mother get them, then? But then she noticed the look of defiance in Muriel's eyes. It was very close to the look that her friend Sirius got when he was about to cause mayhem for no reason. And she knew better than to argue with that look.  
  
"I won't tell," Lily said quietly. 


	3. Chapter 3 Disappointments

Chapter 3 ~ Disappointments  
  
It was Avery, a week later, who first made the mistake of trying to hex her. She had known the trouble with Slytherin house would begin soon, and she'd been carrying her wand readily in her hand ever since the howler. She heard several pairs of feet scurrying behind her and turned to see that an avenue had cleared between her and the 6th year Slytherin, who was leering at her unpleasantly. She quickly placed the shield charm that her father had taught her a few summers ago. She wasn't very good at redirecting curses yet, and his landed hard in the wall above her head, charring the stone. Yells rang out all around her and several people stunned Avery, who slumped backwards into a suit of armor, making a nasty racket as he fell. Muriel was surprised when she looked around to see that even the Hufflepuffs in the hallway had their wands out.  
  
"Thanks," she said, smiling. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be pitted against Slytherin if the rest of the school was behind her. Several people patted her shoulders as she made her way to the Great Hall for dinner. She plopped herself down beside Harold Thomas, the 7th year Quiddich captain and beater for her team. He stopped speaking to the girl across from him abruptly and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What can I do for you, Deesia?" he asked. He, like most of the older Ravenclaws, knew her by reputation only, and that was more than he wanted to know. She hadn't gotten close to anyone but her dorm mates in the last three years. Still, he was inclined to like her after she'd made such a fool of Malfoy last week.  
  
"Hi Thomas. I was wondering when the tryouts are going to be for that chaser position."  
  
The older boy looked concerned. "Well, er, I didn't know anyone else was interested in it," he said carefully. "I'm afraid I've already offered it to someone." He felt a stab of guilt as she looked down at the table.  
  
"Guess I'd better ask earlier next year," she said quietly. "Thanks, Thomas." She got up to go.  
  
"Deesia? Next year they're going to need a seeker, a beater and a keeper." He paused as she turned around. "You might want to talk to Kyle about it," he added in a whisper. He had already recommended Kyle for next year's captain.  
  
Mur smiled. "Thanks, I'll do that. Good luck next month, I hear you're up against Slytherin first. Give it your best go to knock Avery off his broom for me," she said. Thomas laughed as she headed down the table to find Marisa.  
  
Dumbledore stood up just as Mur sat down. "May I have your attention, please?" This was a stupid question, since the hall generally fell silent every time he stood. Muriel rolled her eyes. "The other Professors and I have decided that it has been too long since our last social event. Therefore, this Halloween, we will be holding a ball for all students in 4th year and up. It would probably be best to owl home for your dress robes this week, as Halloween is only two weeks away." The professor sat back down and Muriel looked over at the Gryffindor table just in time to see Lily snap her eyes away from James, who was getting up to go and ask her to the dance. Muriel stifled a laugh.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"Why don't you go ask her, mate?" Remus whispered to Sirius.  
  
"Who?" He snapped irritably.  
  
Peter looked confused and kept silent as Remus answered, "Whoever you're staring at over at the Ravenclaw table. You've been looking over there ever since Dumbledore started talking."  
  
Sirius stood up abruptly. "Yeah, I think I will." He made his way over to where the four Ravenclaw 4th years were giggling excitedly about the dance. Muriel looked up as he walked over and nudged Marisa, who turned a shocking shade of pink when she looked up to see Sirius.  
  
"Er, M-"there was a slight pause and Sirius looked at the four girls, all of whom were staring at him now. "M-Marisa?" he asked. No one had ever heard Sirius Black stutter before.  
  
"Yes?" Under the table, Marisa grabbed Mur's hand for support. She didn't notice that Muriel was looking up at Sirius with a very odd expression on her face.  
  
"Would you like to go to the Halloween ball with me?" he asked, flashing her a smile. His usual calm demeanor replaced his stutter, and he looked once more like the collected flirt Muriel knew him to be. She grinned as her friend agreed.  
  
That night the Ravenclaw common room was filled with girls writing home for their dress robes. Muriel had hers with her, of course, but she didn't think she'd need them. After her table-top announcement, none of the Slytherins would ask her, and she didn't know anyone else. And Severus hated that sort of thing.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Muriel looked over the top of her Divination book as Severus pushed open the library door and set his books down on the desk. Two weeks had passed since the howler, and potions with the Slytherins had been more awful than usual this morning. They were still pretty sore with her, and seeing her working alongside Severus only angered them more. He was one of them, after all. As he plopped himself into a chair, she wondered if they'd been trying to hex him for continuing to be her partner.  
  
She had cast the Legilimens spell to see if he would come up and sit with her. But when he caught her eye, she knew he'd already figured out why she had asked. There was no reason to say it out loud. Instead, she raised an eyebrow in inquiry. He matched her expression, shaking his head solemnly, and she let out a long sigh.  
  
"Are you that afraid to be seen with me?" she asked quietly.  
  
"I'm not AFRAID, Mur. I just don't like dancing." He answered curtly.  
  
She lowered her eyes back to the book. She wasn't going to win this one, so she'd choose another battle. "What are you going to do all evening, then?" she asked finally, not looking up.  
  
"Probably finish my homework and enjoy having the common room to myself." He replied smugly. "Unless you want to explore the castle again?"  
  
"No, thanks," she said sourly. She didn't fancy another chance to get caught by Filch, although she was much better at her invisibility charm these days, and would certainly have a better chance to get away.  
  
"Ah, Mur," he said bracingly, thinking her sour voice was because she was upset with him again. "Don't think about the ball, we'll find something else to do."  
  
"I don't WANT to do something else, Sev," she hissed suddenly, setting her book down with a precise thunk. "I want to dance. With you. Is that so bad?" She didn't wait for his response. He had never taken it well when she was that forward, but HE certainly wasn't making any effort, and she was getting a little annoyed with him.  
  
He watched silently as she packed up her books and huffed out. How could he explain to her that he couldn't afford to be that close to her, that just putting his arm around her the day her mother's howler had come had been a risk? He didn't want her hearing the less-than-platonic thoughts that were starting to appear, unbidden, in his head.  
  
Muttering to himself, he pulled out a piece of parchment. He felt his face turning red as he wrote, remembering Papa's offer, which he now knew he had to accept. There had to be a way to get close to her without thinking things that would get him slapped silly. When he'd finished, he sat back in the chair and reread the letter.  
  
Dear Papa,  
  
I've thought about your offer of this summer, and decided it would probably be in my best interests to learn as much about that branch of magic as possible. Obviously I can't be seen with books on the subject, so I will take them out of the library and transfigure their covers. By Christmas I should have enough background that we can begin.  
  
I know I was less than enthusiastic when you mentioned it. I am beginning to understand why you offered, and hope you will forgive my ignorance.  
  
Thank you, Severus  
  
'Less than enthusiastic,' he thought scathingly to himself, remembering. 'I'll say.' The day before Muriel had returned from a two-week holiday with her Aunt Rosa over the summer, Papa had taken him into the woods for a chat:  
  
"Severus, you and Muriel have gotten very close over the years, and I know you're aware of her rather alarming Legilimens ability," the older man began. Severus only nodded. He probably knew the extent of her ability better than anyone else did. When Papa didn't continue, Sev looked up. They were walking toward the dueling area around the lake, which was far enough into the trees to be out of sight of the houses.  
  
Papa cleared his throat. "There may come a time when it will be less than convenient for her to hear your thoughts so clearly," he said delicately, looking into the young man's eyes. Sev looked confused. For a moment, Papa thought perhaps the boy didn't like Mur so well after all.  
  
"We've always shared everything, even before we could talk, I sometimes imagine," he said quietly.  
  
"And that's never made you uncomfortable?" Papa asked.  
  
"Well, sure it has! She hexes me for what I think all the time, even if I have the decency not to say it out loud. It's like a conscience with a wand is following me every second!" Severus said heatedly.  
  
Papa chuckled. Maybe the boy imagined that he and Mur were close enough that it wouldn't matter. Still, Papa knew what boys Severus' age tended to think, and couldn't help but worry that his daughter might harm the boy if she ever heard that sort of thing going on inside his head. Or, even more frightening, perhaps she would ACT on the kind of thing that goes through a 14 year old boy's head. Papa shuddered. He couldn't let that happen. "I was more concerned with thoughts about her that you might be embarrassed to have her hear," he said quietly.  
  
Severus looked back at him, eyes widening. Just what kind of thoughts did Papa suspect he was having about Mur, anyway? And what would the man do to him if he were to ever admit to it!? Suddenly Severus felt very uncomfortable indeed.  
  
"Think on it, Sev," Papa said, his hand falling on the boy's shoulder. "Occlumency is difficult to learn and takes time to master. I'll be glad to teach you should you ever decide you want to try it."  
  
Severus had sat in the woods for hours after that, casting hexes at the trees around him in frustration. And that was exactly what he felt like doing now, casting hexes to relieve his frustration. Unfortunately even HE couldn't get away with hexing people in the middle of the library.  
  
He sighed and folded the letter. When he left for the owlery, it was with a stack of Occlumency books, the covers of which ranged from "Quiddich Through The Ages" to "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." He would be ready to learn by Christmas. Maybe he could take her to next year's ball. 


	4. Chapter 4 Halloween

Chapter 4 ~ Halloween  
  
Muriel watched, amused, as Marisa fluttered around the dorm room, her hair plaited with ribbon that trailed almost to the hem of her pale blue robes. She looked lovely, and Mur was a little jealous that she'd been asked to the ball. Severus hadn't mentioned it once since she'd left him in the library.  
  
Marisa, feeling her friend's discontent, spun around sharply. She couldn't find her left shoe, but it could wait. "Mur, isn't there anyone you could come with? What about Kyle?"  
  
Muriel snorted. "Accio shoe," she said lazily. The missing shoe came whizzing out of the bathroom. "When did you take it in there?" she asked bemusedly.  
  
"I mean it," Marisa exclaimed, catching the shoe as Mur tossed it to her. "Kyle would take you."  
  
"I heard him asking Vanessa earlier. Forget it, Marisa, I'm a spinster for the night." She fell back dramatically on her bed, arms straight out.  
  
Marisa laughed and shook her head. "There are other boys in the world besides Severus, you know," she said. This only served to make Muriel sit up and look at her with a solemn expression.  
  
It wasn't long, however, before that expression turned into a sly grin. "No, there aren't other boys. But there IS someone I could ask. I wonder if he would get here in time?" She was gazing off into space thoughtfully.  
  
Marisa narrowed her eyes and plopped down on the bed, pulling her shoe on. "I recognize that look. It's the same look you had on your face when you threatened to go to London while we're all in Hogsmeade next weekend," she said disapprovingly.  
  
"I will, too," Mur said suddenly, making up her mind. Marisa watched her grab a piece of parchment and a quill and trot down the stairs, wondering if she meant the trip to London or inviting this boy to the ball, or both.  
  
"Kyle? Can I borrow your owl?" Mur asked quickly as she ran through the common room. She heard him holler, "Sure!" after her as she vaulted out the portrait hole and up to the owlery.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
She waited outside the castle. The air was chill and the wind was blowing, but she was sure that he would at least answer. She wasn't disappointed. It was only twenty minutes later when she saw a short, slight man silhouetted against a silvery glow at the edge of the forest and ran toward him.  
  
"You got my owl!" she said breathlessly. "What do you think?"  
  
"I THINK I'm being used to get your young Mr. Snape's attention." He grinned. She had once had quite a crush on him, but he could see that it had passed. He knew exactly what she was doing. But why should he mind? He thought of her more as a little sister than anything else, especially since he was nearly 12 years older than she. It wouldn't hurt him any to help her out and be her date for a ball. Besides, it had been a long time since he'd been around other humans.  
  
Muriel had the good grace to blush and look away as Maverick put a hand on her shoulder. "If I admit it will you dance with me anyway?" she asked shyly.  
  
Maverick laughed. "That's why I'm here isn't it?" He offered her his arm, and threw a look over his shoulder at the unicorn. "See Adella, I told you she didn't mean anything by it." Muriel was startled to hear the beast snort in response, almost as if she were laughing.  
  
When they entered the Great Hall, Maverick couldn't help but smile. The place looked just like he remembered it. Pumpkins with candles in them were suspended above them, and bats could be seen against the charmed night's sky overhead. He led her directly to the dance floor, choosing a place near Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagal, who seemed to be too preoccupied to notice.  
  
Muriel grinned at the looks the Slytherins were giving her. Malfoy's mouth was hanging open as he gaped over Narcissa's shoulder. She winked at him just for fun. Who would have thought that the handsome Head Boy could look so imbecilic?  
  
"So, who's dancing with the headmaster?" Maverick whispered to her.  
  
"That's Professor McGonagal, Transfiguration and head of Gryffindor house," Mur said quietly. "She's really strict." She made a face.  
  
"I'm sure you deserved every detention she's given you," he replied mildly. It was her turn to laugh. Soon the song ended, and Maverick caught Dumbledore's eye. The two embraced like old friends while Mur raised an eyebrow. She still didn't like Dumbledore very well.  
  
The bearded old man was eyeing her curiously, and she was becoming nervous. It wouldn't be good if he asked how she and Maverick had met. Fortunately a faster song had begun, and her date put an arm around her waist and took her hand. "If you'll excuse me, Professor?" he inquired politely before he swept her off to the other end of the dance floor and back again.  
  
"Where did you learn to dance?" she asked breathlessly. At 14, she felt hopelessly uncoordinated next to his casual grace. She wasn't aware that to the watching students, she looked every bit as elegant as he did. At the last minute, Marisa had majicked her hair into a fashionable knot of curls on top of her head, charming it in place, and summoning flowers from the greenhouses to their open window to weave through her hair. Already several wisps had started to fall, as they danced, but it only added to the charm of her flushed cheeks and bright smile.  
  
"I had an unexpected encounter with a fairy," he said. She looked at him incredulously. "No, really! My older brother shrank me once by mistake and a fairy found me. She taught me to dance, and sing, and play an instrument that I don't remember the name of. It hardly matters, since fairy instruments can't be magically engorged. The one I learned on was much too small, once my parents found me and returned me to the correct size."  
  
Muriel was full of questions. It had been two years since she'd seen Maverick, and she was no longer infatuated with him, so her shyness had disappeared. They'd sent owls sporadically, but hadn't really ever talked about much, since the day she'd visited him to ask about learning to cast illusion charms at the end of her second year.  
  
"When did you finish going to school here?" Mur asked as they clapped at the end of a song and headed to the refreshment table.  
  
"Let's see.I guess I took my N.E.W.T.s eight years ago. Merlin, but I'm getting old! It's hard to keep track of the time living in the forest."  
  
Muriel looked up to see Marisa sipping her drink quietly and watching them approach. She introduced her dorm mate to Maverick, then waited with her friend as he went to get them drinks.  
  
"You didn't mention that he was so good looking," Marisa said appreciatively. "Are you sure he's in his twenties? He hardly looks that old."  
  
"He's at least 26, Marisa," Mur said, rolling her eyes. "It was really nice of him to come with me. He knew I was only asking him to get back at Sev, of course, but he came anyway."  
  
"Only?" Marisa asked knowingly.  
  
"Well, he really is a fantastic dancer," Muriel admitted. Truthfully, she had to acknowledge that she was probably having more fun than she would have had with Severus, only because he would have sat near the wall and watched while everyone else danced.  
  
"Where's Black?" she asked Marisa as Maverick handed her a cup of pumpkin juice.  
  
She shrugged. "Disappeared after that last song."  
  
Muriel looked thoughtfully at her drink and her eyes narrowed. The marauders had been blessedly quiet so far this year. She'd only been to the Harmless Hex ward 3 times. Perhaps they were overdue for some mischief. She sniffed the drink carefully, then set it down. "Maverick?" she asked, turning, "Did you drink -" She blinked at him a few times as laughter broke out around her. She had her answer.  
  
Maverick had sprouted a very impressive headdress of peacock feathers, and was reaching up behind his head with one hand. His eyes were straining to see whatever it was that he felt fluttering above him. Mur couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face. She took him up to Madam Kinnison, who had been on standby all night, knowing that SOMETHING was sure to happen while everyone was in such high spirits.  
  
When his feathers were gone, Maverick said goodnight grumpily. Muriel, however, was grinning. Maybe she should have warned him that their feud was in full swing again. She walked him down to the castle door. "Tell Adella I'm sorry for keeping you away so long, and thank her for lending you to me," she said as he stepped outside.  
  
"It was really fun," she added as he stared at her in surprise. He hadn't wanted anyone to know about his feelings for the unicorn. He wondered if Mur had ever seen Adella in human form.  
  
"Any time," he said, trying to hide his sudden worry. He flashed her a smile before heading off with long strides toward the forest. Mur watched as a glow approached from the other direction, then went back inside. She had intended to go upstairs, but Kyle was beckoning her from the hall.  
  
"What is it?" Mur asked. She still thought he was rather annoying, but remembered that he might just be next year's Quiddich captain.  
  
"Vanessa ditched me, want to dance?" he asked nervously. Muriel wasn't sure she was going to be a very good dancer without Maverick, but she smiled anyway.  
  
"Sure," she replied, letting him lead her back into the hall. By the time she was ready to make her way back upstairs, she'd danced with Macnair, Goyle, and at least two Hufflepuff boys whose names she couldn't remember. She'd been impressed that Macnair had had the guts to ask her at all. Though their parents were friends, they had never been close. Still, he wasn't so bad, when you kept him away from Malfoy. Not like Avery, who was rotten all on his own. She was glad that Avery hadn't asked her to dance. She would have had to hex him.  
  
"Well, Marisa, did you have a good time?" Mur asked sleepily as she let her hair down, laying the flowers carefully on her dresser.  
  
"It was amazing! He was so sweet. Well, except that potion in the punch."  
  
Muriel laughed. "You must have known he'd pull something like that, they never go very long without a prank. Really, I think we got off easy."  
  
"It didn't look like Maverick thought so!" Marisa was laughing now too. She threw her robes over the back of the desk chair and vaulted into bed.  
  
"Oh, he didn't care that much. He just gets grumpy. He's not used to being around people. I'm sure he's already forgotten all about it," she said, climbing into her own bed and pulling the curtains around. "Thanks again for doing my hair. You'll have to write those charms down for me!" Marisa didn't answer, and Mur wasn't surprised. She was exhausted too. She fell asleep moments later, trying to plan what she would do to Black for slipping potion to her date. 


	5. Chapter 5 Quack, Quack!

Chapter 5 ~ Quack, Quack  
  
Muriel sat uncomfortably in Transfiguration class. Professor McGonagal kept giving her odd looks. When it was her turn to transfigure the hamster in front of her into a duck, she scratched her plan and performed the curse flawlessly. She was rewarded with a slight smile before the professor moved on.  
  
Black was sitting two tables ahead of her, and she had hoped to take this opportunity to pay him back for last weekend's pumpkin juice prank. She would only have had to flick her wand his way and change the pronunciation of the hex a tiny bit to turn HIM into a duck. It would have been perfect, but something about McGonagal's stares had told her that she was already on thin ice. Maybe the strict lady had learned how she'd met Maverick and was just waiting for a reason to question her.  
  
She hurried out of the room when the bell sounded. Marisa was waiting for her in the library. She frowned, thinking of her friend. Marisa had been so pleased when, the day after Halloween, Sirius had asked her if she wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him tomorrow. But today she had been upset at lunch when she'd asked Mur to meet her after classes. She'd left without eating anything, and skipped every class since. Not a common thing among Ravenclaws.  
  
She pushed open the library door and looked around. A few Hufflepuff girls she didn't know were studying quietly together, but there was no sign of Marisa. She headed into the shelves and found her friend sitting alone in an alcove, her head resting on the desk and her shoulders shaking. Muriel could see the scene that was replaying in her friend's mind clearly. She didn't need to ask what was wrong.  
  
The table was tiny, and there was only one chair, so Mur tossed her bag on the floor, making Marisa look up. Then she planted herself on the table, her back against the window. She looked seriously at her friend. "He's a bloody git."  
  
Marisa only nodded, tears still streaming down her face. Muriel took out her wand. "Legilimens," she whispered, closing her eyes. Sirius was out on the grounds with Remus. She could hear him thinking more but didn't bother with it. All she wanted to know was where to find him. She broke the spell and opened her eyes.  
  
Marisa was staring at her, wide-eyed. Her tears had dried up quickly and now she looked worried. Mur had explained her Legilimens abilities to Marisa half way through last year, and the girl knew she could locate people that way. Muriel smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry. I won't do any permanent damage." With that, she kicked her feet and jumped down from the desk, landing loudly enough to earn them a sharp look from Madam Pince.  
  
She left her bag in the library and headed outside. It was windy and cold, as winter was approaching, and she hadn't brought a cloak. But it didn't matter. Marisa would never have said anything to Black herself, so it was up to Mur to teach the boy a lesson. She found them sitting in the courtyard on a bench, and planted her feet in front of them, her eyes flashing angrily.  
  
"What do you want, Deesia," Sirius said tiredly. It had been a long day. He had barely managed to transfigure his hamster, and his extra curricular transfiguration work wasn't going well either. Not to mention that stupid Hufflepuff 5th year who'd surprised him before lunch and kissed him before he could get away. He wasn't in any mood for pranks.  
  
"I want to know why you would ask Marisa to Hogsmeade and then be kissing someone else only a few days later. She saw you, you know!" Muriel was only barely keeping her wand in check as he looked up, startled. Then the irony of it all sank in, and he laughed. The bloody prat had the nerve to LAUGH! Muriel's scowl took on a much more menacing look, and Remus tried to intervene, but she turned her wand on him, and he stepped back out of the way. He was brave, but he wasn't stupid.  
  
"You insufferable git! Don't you even care that she's in the library crying?!" Muriel didn't wait for his answer. A moment later, Sirius Black was quacking angrily up at her from the bench, his shiny black feathers ruffled and his wings beating furiously. Muriel spared the boys a smirk as Remus snatched him off the bench and ran for the Harmless Hex ward.  
  
"Doling out punishments for your weak mud blood friends, Deesia?" Malfoy had walked up behind her, flanked by two of his dorm mates, Minchew and Crabbe. "I think transfiguring a fellow student should get you at least a week's worth of detention with Filch, don't you?" His voice was oily and smooth, and infuriatingly superior.  
  
"Malfoy!" A voice came from behind her and she closed her eyes for a moment. Severus had wonderful timing. "Your badge looks particularly good outside. It has a bit of a blue cast to it. In fact, from back there," he said as he reached them, "it reminded me a little of Mur's pet bird."  
  
Muriel licked her lips, as they curled into a devious smile. Severus hadn't spoken to her since the ball. One of his house mates had gone down to the dungeons to tell him about her date as soon as she'd started dancing, and he'd been furious. He knew from the descriptions he'd been given that it had to have been Maverick, and he really didn't like him much. He'd spent the entire week remembering how in their second year, she'd blushed every time the man had spoken to her.  
  
Malfoy looked worried for an instant before he sneered at them. "You have no proof," he hissed angrily. The fact was that he didn't want Severus angry with him, but he wasn't going to tell anyone else that. He'd thought Severus was upset with Muriel, and that they might have a laugh over her punishment.  
  
"My father believes my word is proof enough," Mur said quietly. "And it's likely that Dumbledore will believe that HIS word is proof enough. Even suspicion of such a thing would lose you that pretty badge."  
  
Lucius weighed his options. This was blackmail, and it was going to work. For the second time in one term, he fixed a smile firmly on his face. "Perhaps detention was a bit harsh. After all, Black is a blood traitor." The smile fell away abruptly. "Don't let me catch you again," he said sternly, and swept away, his goons following closely.  
  
Muriel sank down onto the bench that Sirius and Remus had vacated and waited to see if Sev would join her. She'd been pretty sure he'd been avoiding her because he didn't want her to know that he was jealous, and now she could feel it, running through his head like a rip tide under a calm-looking surf.  
  
"Thanks," she said, smiling up at him. He'd gotten very tall in the last year, though he was still extremely thin.  
  
He gave her a strange look before sitting down beside her. She would know how he felt, and tease him for it. He resigned himself to this, and waited, but she just looked at him, her eyes cloudy and her expression concerned. Finally he turned toward her, tired of the silence.  
  
"Want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "Sorry, Sev, I can't go this time, I've got plans." He saw her lips turn up and was suddenly angry again and fixed his eyes on the fountain.  
  
"Visiting Maverick?" he spat. Muriel was surprised. Severus very rarely said anything in jealousy, though she'd known him to feel it once or twice. Voicing it meant admitting that he cared, and he'd spent years denying that, in spite of her ability to feel his emotions.  
  
"Severus, he only took me to the dance as a favor," she began, her voice soft. She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. She'd only wanted someone to dance with. She tried to take his hand, but he moved it abruptly, still not looking at her.  
  
Mur raised an eyebrow, and stood up. He had no business being upset with her for going with someone else when she'd given him several opportunities to ask her himself. "You didn't want to go with me, remember?" She snapped. When he didn't meet her eye, she softened her voice.  
  
"He's in love with Adella, you know, the unicorn. I only asked him because I know that he thinks of me as a little sister. He was safe, Sev." Finally Severus looked up, and Muriel smiled as his range of emotions shifted back to what she had grown accustomed to feeling from him. "Come on, let's get to lunch. You can sit with me, and I'll tell you where I'll be instead of Hogsmeade." 


	6. Chapter 6 Not Hogsmeade

Chapter 6 ~ Not Hogsmeade  
  
Muriel stepped into the Leaky Cauldron through the back door, scanning the tables to be sure there was no one here she knew. Her eyes were drawn to the back corner, where someone had turned away from the door quickly at her entrance. She nodded to the bartender, Tom, and made her way over to the solitary figure. It was odd to see someone with his hood pulled up inside a bar. She couldn't see his face, but she could see a wisp of platinum blond hair that looked rather familiar.  
  
A half-finished shot of fire whiskey was grasped in the man's hand, which was trembling ever so slightly. She could feel pain coming from him in flickers, like light from a candle's flame. When she reached out with her mind, she had to stifle a gasp. She sat down quickly. "Malfoy?" she whispered, her surprise making her voice louder than she'd intended.  
  
"Quietly, Deesia!" he hissed through his clenched teeth. There were few people here, as it wasn't even lunch time yet, but his warning tone made her look around. When she looked back at him, she noticed the patch of midnight black seeping steadily across the shoulder of his dark gray robes. "Sod off, would you?" he said, a little more gently. Even if she couldn't read his thoughts, she would have known he didn't really want her to go. She narrowed her eyes. This was THE biggest git at Hogwarts. But she had a feeling this was too big a thing for her to walk away from. Her eyes focused on the black stain, which was still growing larger.  
  
"There's blood seeping through your robes. If someone notices, you'll wind up in St. Mungo's and there'll be all kinds of trouble. Stay here until I signal for you, then follow me upstairs," she whispered. He looked up in shock, but nodded resignedly before turning his face back toward the wall. He was obviously afraid to be recognized. She paused a moment before tucking the tell-tale lock of hair down into his hood. When she pulled out her hand, there was blood on her fingers and her eyes widened worriedly. She'd better hurry.  
  
It didn't take much to convince Tom to give her a room. He eyed her suspiciously for a minute before she forked over five extra galleons, then he gave her a key with a big grin. "School gets a bit stuffy, eh?" he asked, trying to be friendly. She sneered at him coldly before turning toward the stairs. On the first landing, she drew her wand and cast the Legilimens curse on Malfoy.  
  
"Come on, mate. Room 13."  
  
She felt his surprise. Naturally no one had ever spoken inside his head before. When he appeared at the bottom of the staircase, she shook her head. No way was he going to make it up to the landing. He was barely shuffling along as it was.  
  
Hoping no one would notice, or at least that Tom would have the discretion to keep it to himself, she ran back down the stairs and put one of the tall boy's arms over her shoulders. He leaned on her heavily all the way into the room, then sat gingerly on the bed. She closed and locked the door, casting a few privacy charms for good measure. When you were dealing with a Malfoy it was best to be cautious. And she had a shrewd idea that she was in the middle of a Malfoy family feud.  
  
"How long have you been bleeding?" she asked quickly, her tone business- like.  
  
"I just got here a few minutes before you came in." His voice held none of the proud tone for which he was known, but Mur only nodded and helped him out of his robes. She doggedly ignored the dark mark that stood out hideously against his pale skin, and she hung out with Severus enough not to be embarrassed by the sight of a man in boxers. For some reason Malfoy found her nonchalance humorous.  
  
"What?" she asked crossly as he stifled a chuckle. She pulled back the covers of the bed and he laid down on his stomach. "Sweet Merlin!" she breathed, before he had a chance to answer. His back was covered in cuts and welts, and he was bleeding profusely from at least six deep wounds. "I'm not sure there's much I can do about this."  
  
She thought hard for a minute. She'd never learned a spell that would knit cuts that deep, but she was sure there must be one. And she DID know how to make a blood restorative potion. She used the towels from the bathroom to catch the blood, knowing that they were going to owe an awful lot of money when they left here for the ruined towels and bed sheets.  
  
He watched as she went to the window and pointed her wand toward Diagon Alley. "Accio healer text," she said forcefully.  
  
"I don't think that's going to work for you. You'd have to be an awfully powerful witch to summon something that far when you can't even picture it." Muriel ignored his words, noticing instead that he didn't sound NEARLY as derogatory as usual. He also looked even paler than was normal, which was really saying something. She needed to hurry.  
  
The book whizzed into the room a few silent minutes later, a heavy volume that stung her hands when she caught it. Malfoy closed his eyes. He was in luck. If she could summon that strongly, maybe her healing spells would do the trick. It killed him to accept help from the blood traitor, but he couldn't very well go to St. Mungo's or Hogwarts, either. For one thing, people would ask questions. Not that Muriel wouldn't, he soon found out.  
  
"So what did you do to deserve this?" she asked quietly, not looking up from the pages she was leafing through. He didn't answer. She mumbled a spell twice, getting the pronunciation down, and stood up. In only a few moments she had closed the six deepest cuts, as well as the one behind his head. She sat back down in the chair by the bed to look for something for the welts that hadn't broken the skin. Finally she looked up.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I let you get the better of me in front of my Slytherin FRIENDS," he answered bitterly, his face turned away from her on the pillow. Muriel swore quietly, getting up again to wipe away the blood from his back.  
  
"Malfoy, if I'd known – " She didn't finish the sentence, knowing that would be enough. She pulled the towel away as he sucked air hard through his teeth. "Alright?" she asked after a minute. Again, he didn't answer. This was so humiliating. A fourteen-year-old girl was saving his ass, and in a couple hours he was going to have to THANK her for it. What's more, she's the ONLY one who would have done it. Few people in the wizarding world would ever put their will contrary to his father's.  
  
"I didn't kill your bird," he said suddenly, making her pause again. She'd examined the cut on his head and determined that he probably had a concussion. It had obviously not been caused by the spell that had cut his back. She said the spell to alleviate his head injury before stepping back to think about what he'd said.  
  
"I found Rena in your room, Lucius, the same day she turned up in my room mangled," she said wearily. Her common sense told her that he had to be lying, but when he turned his head to face her and she looked into his eyes, she knew that he wasn't. He really hadn't killed the bird.  
  
"Avery transfigured a pigeon and put it in your wren's place. That's what you found. I was planning to give Rena back to you on the train, but he'd already killed her by the time I figured out what he'd done."  
  
Muriel looked at him. To see anything in the eyes of a Malfoy besides hate and condescension was a new experience. But to see remorse: of all things? That was a once in a lifetime deal. She smiled.  
  
"I believe you," she whispered. She wet a washcloth and gently cleaned the blood out of his hair. He didn't wince. "We're going to need to get you a blood restorative potion. I can buy the ingredients in Diagon Alley. Will you wait here? I'll only be a few minutes."  
  
He caught her wrist as she turned to go. It worried her that he was holding it so weakly. It didn't even hurt! "You can't tell anyone about this, Mur," he said quickly. She smiled at him again.  
  
"You can wipe my memory as soon as you're feeling up to it. Honestly, I don't think I'll be able to act like I hate you anymore, and we both know that we'll be doing this again if your father thinks you're fraternizing with the blood traitor." Lucius did wince at the mention of his father. She was right, and he was grateful that she didn't mind the memory charm. He was probably too weak just now to force it on her. He let her go, and she ran out the door.  
  
He was fast asleep by the time she returned. She brewed the potion quickly. It had to simmer for a few hours, so she left again to buy the blue jeans that she'd come to London for in the first place. It seemed rather anti-climatic after all that had happened, but she had time to kill, and she really did want those jeans.  
  
Lucius was pacing when she returned, about half an hour before the potion would be ready. When she narrowed her eyes at him, he got back in bed. He didn't speak to her, and she didn't speak to him, preferring to lock herself in the bathroom and try on her new trousers. When she emerged she got a raised eyebrow for her trouble.  
  
"What do you think?" She spun around slowly, holding her jumper above her waist to show off the embroidery on the pockets.  
  
"Officially?" he smirked. "I think you could dress up as a mud blood for Halloween next year." She gave him a withering glance and his smirk fell into a more serious expression. "They look great, but Severus will hate them."  
  
"Only officially," she replied, gracing him with a smirk of her own, but wondering how he knew she had hoped to impress Severus. He laughed in spite of himself. "Tom's going to bring us up some lunch. The blood replenishing potion works much faster if you eat something." Of course Lucius, who was three years ahead of her in school, already knew this information, but he only nodded. The scathing remark she'd been expecting never came. Muriel shook her head. "You're not the man you pretend to be, Lucius," she said quietly.  
  
"I'm not the man I'm expected to be, but that doesn't stop me trying," he answered, his voice suddenly hard again. She nodded. The children of dark families had a lot to live up to, as she well knew.  
  
They ate in silence, and Muriel gathered her things to go. She walked half way down the staircase and stopped, her back to the door of the room Lucius would stay in tonight.  
  
"Thanks, Mur," he whispered. She nodded. Then he hit her with the memory charm and closed the door quietly, breathing a sigh of relief. He had been lucky this time. He'd have to be more careful in the future. Especially since Muriel would probably try to humiliate him again now that she didn't remember their rather unlikely friendship.  
  
Mur went back to Hogsmeade and met up with Severus, who approved of her new jeans, in spite of the fact that he rolled his eyes when he saw her. She just glared at him until he smiled and started telling her about what he'd done to the marauders without her. 


	7. Chapter 7 Christmas Holiday

Chapter 7 ~ Christmas Holiday  
  
Owl post arrived, and Muriel was surprised when a letter fell into her lap. It was from her mother. She looked up to see Severus staring at her. He held up a letter as well. Muriel swore. Two days before Christmas holiday this could mean only one thing. One of them was hosting the party, and she would have to go. Maybe she could talk her parents out of inviting the Averys.  
  
She was anxious to get to Potions to ask Severus what his letter said, but was disappointed when she arrived to find their desk empty. She looked back out into the hallway just as the marauders walked passed, sniggering. 'Great, I suppose Sev is in the hospital wing, then,' she thought angrily. She calmed herself when she noticed Macnair, who sat behind her, staring at her. She winked at him and he smiled.  
  
What she really wanted to do was dash out into the hallway and hex the ears off Black and his cronies, but instead she pulled out her mother's letter. Unfortunately she still didn't dare open it. It smelled faintly of something she couldn't place, and she wanted Sev to be with her when she opened it.  
  
When Professor Warrington placed the potion ingredients before her, she began, following the instructions carefully. She fully intended to write Sev's name on the bottle too, so he wouldn't lose points for not being in class. She wanted the potion to be up to his standard.  
  
They met after classes in the library. Severus had opened his letter on the way to potions, which is why he'd been distracted and managed to get himself hexed. Potter had hit him with a jelly legs curse, and it'd taken him most of the class period just to get up the stairs to Madam Kinnison. Mur thought he was still walking a bit funny, but decided not to comment.  
  
"Smells like lilacs," he said, taking the letter from her and smelling it. Muriel made a face. Since when had her mother been interested in girly things like that? She tore it open, and was pleasantly surprised when nothing happened. She pulled another face as she scanned it, though.  
  
"Looks like it's me, then. Maybe they'll let me stay at your place so someone can have my room."  
  
"Doubt it. It looks from my letter to be a joint thing. Father says they're building a pavilion out by the lake and casting heating charms on the whole thing. We'll probably have guests at our house too." He fiddled nervously with his books, digging out the dream journal that he was keeping for Divination.  
  
"You know this means Riddle will be there," he whispered suddenly, leaning forward. "They wouldn't go to all this trouble for a regular old party."  
  
"Then I guess we can be glad that we're still underage." She looked back at her letter. "Mother says there will be a separate place for us. I think she's a little concerned about me meeting him, since I'm a blood traitor and all." She winked at Severus, who looked about to smile. But before he could do so, his eyes narrowed, and she turned to see that Black had come out from behind a shelf in the library. He was busy looking for something, however, and didn't seem to notice them.  
  
Wordlessly, they gathered their things to leave. Mur was sure that Black was still upset about the duck incident, especially since she kept conjuring feathers and letting them float down to his desk during the classes they shared. More than once she'd seen him burn them to ashes with a spell.  
  
It didn't take long to pack up her best robes. She made sure to get Marisa to write down those hair styling spells for her. It would please her mother not to have to help her this year, she knew. The train ride home with Severus was tense, and it only got worse when his father met them at the station.  
  
They rode home silently in Mr. Snape's car. It was a long trip, but Muriel didn't dare talk to Severus about anything. It always seemed that no matter what Mr. Snape heard, he used it against Severus later. Mur couldn't count the times she'd regretted talking in front of Mr. Snape.  
  
Nevertheless, she thanked him politely when they arrived home, and dragged her trunk inside. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Severus followed his father into their house, his head down. Her mother greeted her coldly at the door before charming her trunk to ascend the stairs. It was unusual for Mrs. Deesia to greet her daughter, and Muriel wondered where Papa was.  
  
Mur closed the door to her room and began to unpack. But a movement near the woods caught her eye and brought her to the window. Mr. Snape and Severus were on their way down to the lake. Of course! Her father must already be working on the pavilion. Normally, when she and her mother were alone in the house, she would cloister herself in her room. She'd already been lectured on the way up the stairs about her request for blue jeans (which she had wisely left at school), and an owl that Dumbledore sent home implying that she was using other students to practice her transfiguration skills. Mur had just smirked. He didn't have any proof, which meant Black and Remus hadn't told.  
  
Now, however, she did up her hair and changed into royal blue robes. They were a year old and a little short, but she had newer ones for the party. Her mother would appreciate the effort. She asked a house elf where her mother was, then went to find her in the family library.  
  
"Mother? Might I go and watch the pavilion go up?" she asked cautiously when her mother looked up. She tried not to look nervous while Mrs. Deesia studied her. It had only been a few short months ago that Mur had first seen the dark mark on her mother's arm, and she didn't want her mother to know she'd seen it, though the memory was burned into her mind.  
  
"I suppose you want to see your father. He is there. You may go." She waved her hand in dismissal as Mur murmured her thanks and ran to throw on a heavy cloak. Mur knew her mother had been impressed with her hair. She hadn't expected the woman to comment, but she'd known it would get her what she wanted.  
  
She walked carefully down to the lake, following her father's footsteps in the snow. The woodland around her house really was beautiful as she followed the worn path toward the water. Each tree branch glittered with ice right to the tip. As the sun warmed the air, she could hear the plunk of dripping water all around her.  
  
She couldn't help but gasp when she reached the lake. They had obviously heated it, as it wasn't frozen, and tendrils of white mist rose from it lazily. Only a thin layer of ice graced the water near the banks. In the center, a rotating pavilion floated several feet above the water. Obviously guests would apparate from the shore. Muriel chuckled. They certainly didn't want the children bothering them this year.  
  
With a crack, she appeared beside her father, momentarily thrown off balance by the movement of the pavilion beneath her. He smiled. "What do you think?"  
  
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. And it was. House elves from both houses were running about putting up decorations of all kinds. White pillars and a low rail ran around the outside of the circle, holding up a high ceiling draped with mistletoe garlands. A huge tree stood in the center. Severus was standing near it, wand in hand. He turned at the sound of her voice.  
  
"Help me with these, will you?" he asked. She hugged her father, then went to help Severus with the cage of live fairies that had to be bound to the tree. It was a shame they couldn't just ask them to live in the tree for a few days, but fairies were fickle, and it wouldn't do for them to decide to leave right before Riddle showed up.  
  
Mr. Snape's warming charm worked well enough that Mur had to take off her cloak as they worked, in spite of the fading sunlight. By nightfall, the place was just about ready. The house elves would take care of the rest before tomorrow night, so they all headed back to the houses.  
  
Muriel walked beside Severus with a smile on her face. He hadn't said anything, but she knew he'd noticed her hair, which made her unaccountably happy. She would do it this way for the party, too, since he liked it.  
  
They spent the next day putting together a smaller pavilion for the children. Once the decorations were finished out on the lake, the house elves came to help them trim their own tree. It went quickly, and Mr. Snape even stopped by to cast his warming charm, though Mur had already told the house elves to build several fire pits around the pavilion and make sure they burned all night.  
  
When they got back to the house, Muriel listened to her mother's instructions on greeting guests. The Malfoy and Avery families had been invited, but Malfoy was now considered an adult, so she wouldn't have to put up with him this year. Mur thought she could choke out a welcome to Avery if she had to, as long as he stayed away from her after that. She and Severus were expected to handle the children and make sure there was NO INTERRUPTION of the adults' party. 


	8. Chapter 8 The Party

Chapter 8 ~ The Party  
  
Sirius walked down from the houses behind his parents. Regalus trailed along after him silently. He couldn't believe he'd done this. She had heard him say that nothing would bring him to this party. Surely she would guess why he was here. He suppressed a sigh and looked around. Why WAS he here?  
  
The main pavilion glittered out on the lake in front of him. It was definitely better than the Rosiers' party last year. He wondered if Snape had been right about Riddle coming. Perhaps that's why his mother had been so insistent.  
  
His father pointed silently at a second pavilion at the lake's edge, then took Mrs. Black's hand. They both disappeared with a crack that was answered a moment later when they reappeared next to the fairy-covered Christmas tree on the main pavilion. Sirius led his brother over to where Mr. Deesia was speaking with Severus and Muriel. He caught the end of what her father was saying, and had his answer.  
  
"Listen to me, both of you! Do not let ANYONE refer to him as "Riddle." You will call him the Dark Lord, or Lord Voldemort if you must refer to him at all. He has disposed of his father's name for good. Don't give him any reason to be angry." Sirius hung back as Muriel's father reached out a hand and placed it on his daughter's cheek. "He's a powerful Legilimens, Mur. Be especially careful." She nodded as her father disappeared with a pop.  
  
Sirius noticed with irritation that they were the first to arrive. Well, no one had ever said his mother was fashionable in any other way, so he didn't know why he was surprised. He let Regalus run ahead. Snape shook his brother's hand, chatting easily with him. They were, after all, housemates. This reminded Sirius yet again that there wouldn't be a soul here from Gryffindor. The closest he was likely to get was Muriel, and she'd hated him for as long as he could remember. He took a deep breath, put his wand in his left pocket, so he could keep a hand on it, and walked up to the pavilion.  
  
"I wondered if you were coming up or if you were just going to stand there," Mur said, smiling. Sirius felt his eyes narrow. Why was she being so nice? She shook his hand and invited him in, but he didn't want to turn his back to her. She laughed as he walked away, his eye still on her.  
  
Well, no one was here yet except them, so she could be honest. "Relax, Black. I'm under strict orders to cause no trouble, so I'm going to be as nice as I can stand to be tonight." She grimaced at him and he smiled. He really did have a dazzling smile.  
  
She was distracted with the arrival of the Averys. Thankfully, Severus shook their hands and gestured them inside. Muriel had a notion to turn Avery into something innocuous, like an extra candle for one of the tables, but decided against it. Jolina would tell, even if the Blacks kept their mouths shut. She watched them humorlessly as they stared daggers at each other across the room, before calling Severus over to greet Macnair, Crabbe and Goyle. Rosier and Wilkes arrived a few moments later, followed by Malfoy and Narcissa. Malfoy took a moment to smirk at them before apparating to the pavilion. The crowd was all here, now, and Mur turned to go into the pavilion herself when several more people she didn't know arrived. They invited them in, and Severus hurriedly cast an enlargement charm on the place. How many more people would be invited?  
  
The newcomers were from everywhere. Several of Muriel's cousins from her mother's side arrived as well, and she introduced them to the Slytherins around her. Severus introduced the rest, since he had a better memory for names.  
  
Sirius nodded as he was introduced but kept a sour expression on his face. His brother had gone to sit with his dorm mates, Rosier and Wilkes, and honestly he didn't want anyone to sit with him. If Muriel's mother had invited these new people, he was sure they weren't anyone he wanted to meet. He watched as Muriel stopped at each table to chat with them, smiling smugly when she passed Avery without a word. His smile vanished however, when she sat down with him. 'Here it comes,' he thought dryly.  
  
"So, Black, ten points to Slytherin for getting you home for Christmas. Do I even dare ask how she threatened you?" Her hair was up in the same knot of curls she'd worn to the Halloween dance, and her dress robes, a deep purple fringed with black lace, came up high on her neck, though they were only held closed loosely with a silver clasp over her black dress. Her face took on an odd expression, and he realized he hadn't answered her yet.  
  
"Er – Turns out no one dared to skive off, since Riddle was coming this year." Muriel narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he'd heard the instructions Papa had given her and Severus. Maybe he just wanted to see if she'd follow them.  
  
"Hoping to catch a glimpse of Lord Voldemort?" she asked, just loudly enough to make a few of the younger children nervous. For that matter, Sirius seemed rather nervous as well, and didn't answer. He had suddenly remembered Mr. Deesia's warning, and knew she was correcting him.  
  
"Mur? Macnair wants to know why we aren't dancing tonight. Don't tell me you danced with HIM at Halloween, too?" Severus' taunting voice cut through the chatter, and Muriel grinned wickedly. She left Sirius to himself, and walked over to the sniggering Slytherins.  
  
"Well, I don't see why we couldn't dance, so long as someone sat out and kept an eye on the kids," she answered sweetly, knowing this would gall Sev to no end. She was right. He'd only meant to tease her for her choice in dance partners, not encourage her to dance with him again!  
  
She summoned a house elf and instructed it to find a way to make music for dancing, ignoring her friend's scowl. Severus tried to clear his head. He'd read every book in the library on Occlumency, and was sure he could manage to block her out long enough for one dance. The house elves returned with a set of enchanted instruments from the Snapes' home, and they played unsteadily, though prettily enough.  
  
He watched as she and Macnair spun around the Christmas tree, laughing, and wondered if that's how she'd looked at Halloween. He was suddenly sorry he'd missed it, and was surprised to find that he wasn't jealous. But then, he knew she didn't fancy Macnair, and he hadn't had any such assurance about Maverick.  
  
Their foreign guests were dancing now as well. Severus looked around, satisfied. The dancing had been a good idea. Undoubtedly these young witches and wizards would report back to their parents that they'd had a good time. Mur was dancing with one of the Karkaroff boys now. He was talking with a thick accent. Severus smiled, knowing that without her particular ability to read minds, she'd probably be having a difficult time understanding.  
  
"Igor, I was surprised you made it," Mur said lightly. She was dying to know why her cousins had come. It had been nearly four years since she'd seen them last. He mumbled something that made no sense, but Mur caught the meaning behind it. His father went were Voldemort went. She nodded and smiled. Lord Voldemort had supposedly been abroad garnering support for the last several years. It looked like it had worked.  
  
Since the ridiculously old instruments tended to run their songs together, everyone was changing dancing partners haphazardly. Muriel thought it was a great deal of fun, until she found herself face to face with Sirius. She saw Sev start toward them and shot him a warning glance. He backed off. She couldn't afford to make Mr. and Mrs. Black angry by being rude to their son. Even if he didn't tell, it was inevitable that the Slytherins present would mention it to someone who WOULD tell. And her mother would be furious.  
  
Almost before she'd had a chance to think it through, he had an arm around her waist. She let him take her hand, but soon realized that he had no idea how to dance. "Here, let me," she said quickly. An evening with Maverick had taught her more than she would ever need to know about dancing, and a moment later, she was leading them across the floor.  
  
Sirius was amazed that she was letting him dance with her. He'd expected her to turn around when he stood up, but here he was, his arm still around her waist. She was avoiding his gaze, and he knew that any minute Snape would probably be here to pull her away.  
  
His mind was scattering bits of thought around like confetti. He couldn't remember at what point he'd decided to stand up and dance with her. He remembered consciously deciding NOT to. It appeared that decision had gone out the proverbial window. She had turned him into a duck earlier this term! He ought to be furious with her, he HAD been furious. He'd sworn to turn her into something awful, just as soon as he got a little better at Transfiguration. But somehow all that had slipped his mind when he'd seen her dancing.  
  
Muriel was trying to find Severus. She had no idea where he'd gone, but she could really use his help. She was confused by all the conflicting thoughts coming from her dance partner. One minute he seemed to be seriously considering tossing her in the lake, and the next it was as if he were actually pleased to have ended up dancing with her. For just a moment, she thought maybe he'd even TRIED to dance with her, but that couldn't be right. They hated each other, had for years. She was only dancing with him now so no one told her parents that she'd been rude to one of their guests.  
  
That theory, however, was soon proven wrong as Avery tapped Sirius on the shoulder. "Let someone else have a go, Black," he said, making Mur wonder how long they'd been dancing.  
  
"Er – actually, Avery, I think I need to sit down for a minute. Thanks, though." She left both boys standing on the dance floor and sat down quickly with Goyle and Crabbe, who looked at her angrily. She grinned, and Goyle's face softened a bit. Obviously Malfoy had told them not to be nice to her. It didn't matter, since without him here they were hardly dangerous. She gave Crabbe a sympathetic look, after all he was of age. It was no wonder if he was in a bad humor, having been relegated to the children's pavilion again.  
  
Severus sat down beside her a moment later. "Where'd you go, I could've used your help back there!" she whispered, making Goyle snigger into his fist. It HAD been pretty funny to see her dancing with Black, of all people. Crabbe didn't laugh.  
  
"You didn't seem to think you needed my help when he first grabbed you," Severus whispered back, teasingly. In fact, he'd found it very amusing to leave her dancing with Black as long as he could. "I just thought maybe you wanted some privacy."  
  
"Prat!" she exclaimed, jumping up. Sirius, who'd just managed to get away from a very annoyed Avery without getting hexed, looked up from the dessert that a house elf had set in front of him.  
  
Muriel knew Severus was trying to get under her skin, and it was working. She'd danced with just about everyone there, except him and Avery, and she wasn't going to dance with Avery. The thought had just crossed her mind when the boy in question took her elbow. "Ready to dance again, Mur?" he purred. She wiped the revulsion quickly from her face and turned calmly to him.  
  
"Actually, Avery, I am. Severus just asked me to." There was a beat of silence before Severus took his cue and stood.  
  
"If you'll excuse us," he said quickly. He was irritated at being maneuvered that way, but felt a grim satisfaction as Avery sat down in his seat, scowling hard at Crabbe and Goyle. He tried desperately to clear his mind as they walked out onto the dance floor. But he couldn't help but notice how pretty her hair was, and was dumbstruck for a moment when she told him she'd done it that way because she had noticed yesterday that he liked it. Obviously his feeble attempts at Occlumency weren't working. He cast about for any way to get himself out of this, and was relieved to see that Avery had raised his wand.  
  
Avery wanted to stop the dancing as well, being more than a little annoyed at Muriel's second refusal. So, he transfigured the now-empty plate in front of Sirius into a duck. Instantly the pavilion erupted in laughter. Everyone from Hogwarts had heard about his brief stint as a fowl. Sirius turned very red, and unfortunately, he looked around quickly enough to see that Avery's wand was still in the air.  
  
In moments Avery had several large boils appearing on his hands, and presumably the rest of him as well. The music ceased immediately as several more hexes flew. It was Severus who thought to put a silencing charm on the pavilion, which was good, since several people screamed when their noses turned into carrots, or their feet began to wobble. Muriel stunned Avery and her cousin, Igor Karkaroff, helped her with the rest. When everyone was unconscious except Igor, Sirius, Muriel and Severus, the latter two exchanged a meaningful glance. This couldn't get back to the adults.  
  
"Black, do you know the counter curse for this?" Muriel asked wearily, pointing to the boils on Avery.  
  
"If I did I would hardly be kind enough to perform it for the bloody git, now would I?" The duck had reminded him rather forcefully that he had no allies here, and he was smirking in a very self-satisfied way. Mur looked at Severus again and thought, 'I'll handle it,' at him. He nodded, understanding, and went to work on transfiguring carrots back into noses.  
  
In the meantime, Muriel brought up her wand. Sirius took a hasty step backward. "Look, Black. Lord Voldemort is here tonight. If my parents get wind of any of this, I'm as good as toast. Since that is the case, one more hex won't get me in any worse trouble," she growled. "Now, fix Avery so we can put a memory charm on him and send him home happy!"  
  
Sirius glowered at her angrily. "Fine!" he snapped, walking over to the slumped form and whispering the counter curse so she wouldn't hear it. He'd only just found that one, after all. No sense in giving away his secret before he could use it on her.  
  
The house elves were instructed forcibly to lie to their parents if asked, and otherwise not to mention anything about the impromptu dueling. They all bowed and scrapped as though they would comply, but Mur and Sev knew it was only a matter of time before it came out. Still, at least no one would know except their parents. As long as the secret stayed in the family, they wouldn't get in TOO much trouble.  
  
Severus thought briefly about putting a memory charm on Black as well, but decided against it. If he should miss on the first try, it would just cause another volley of hexes, and they really couldn't afford that. The party on the pavilion would be winding down soon, and they were only just going to get things back to normal before the adults came to get their children. Besides, Black never talked to his parents.  
  
The music started back up, and Severus forced his mind into submission as he and Muriel danced. After all, SOMEONE had to be acting normal when everyone else woke up. By the time the adults started to head back to the houses, several people were dancing again. Severus was thinking very hard about potions ingredients while he and Mur danced, which was earning him the strangest looks. Once in a while, he grinned down at her and she shook her head. 'How can he possibly be thinking about potions right now?' she wondered. 'What a swot!' But she was enjoying what little of his attention she had, and said nothing.  
  
Sirius was watching them angrily from a table. Thankfully, his parents lived close enough that they wouldn't be staying the night. He didn't bother to answer later on when his father asked if they'd had a good time. Regalus told them everything he knew, which wasn't much. Sirius locked the door to his room as soon as he got home, with no intention of coming out until it was time to catch the Hogwarts Express. 


	9. Chapter 9 The Black Envelope

Chapter 9 ~ The Black Envelope  
  
"I am pleased with you," Mrs. Deesia said formally to her daughter before sending her to bed. "The Dark Lord was most impressed with our pavilion, and you did not allow the children to ruin the evening."  
  
"Thank you, Mother," Mur replied demurely. She was exhausted, and didn't want to be interrogated. She was glad when her mother dismissed her and she could climb into bed. It had been so nice to dance with Severus. Even though his mind had been elsewhere, she could feel his happiness. She couldn't understand why he had refused to take her to the Halloween dance.  
  
Mr. Deesia was at the front door, a wry smile on his face as the boy in front of him chattered excitedly. "I danced with her and everything, I just kept reciting potions ingredients to myself. She thought I was crazy, but at least I didn't get hexed into next week!" Severus couldn't believe he was talking to Papa about this.  
  
"The books I sent helped then?" Papa asked, amused, but knowing he was going to have to bring him down a bit before he could send him home. If Severus went home this happy, his father would be sure to wipe the smile off his face.  
  
Severus was nodding when Papa continued. "You understand that there are more important reasons for learning Occlumency?" he asked, with a glance over his shoulder. "Lord Voldemort was here tonight. He will be taking up residence in Britain again. You heard me tell Mur that he's a powerful Legilimens. It won't be long before you'll be under a lot of pressure to take the mark, Severus." He kept his voice low as the boy's eyes widened. The grin had fallen from his face, which now looked oddly emotionless. Papa was glad. That was nearly as important as learning Occlumency.  
  
"With a strong background in Occlumency, you'll be able to lie to your father about your intentions for a lot longer. You'll also be able to keep Dumbledore or anyone else from knowing where you stand."  
  
Severus nodded, solemnly now. He had wondered if this wasn't going somewhere more serious. "When can we start?"  
  
They agreed that the best way to gauge how Severus was coming along was to use Muriel. Papa would send him instructions by owl. Now that he'd read the books, it would primarily be trial and error to see what worked at blocking his thoughts and what did not. Sev went home in a much less giddy mood than he'd been when he walked Mur to the house earlier. He fell into bed thinking hard about Occlumency. His father had already begun telling him some of the Dark Lord's plans. He didn't want Muriel to get involved in that, and if Occlumency was going to keep her safe from it, he was going to learn it, and learn it fast.  
  
By the time the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station, Muriel was thoroughly frustrated. Try as she might, she couldn't get Severus to admit that he'd had any fun at the party at all.  
  
"I hate to dance, Mur," he insisted again as they climbed into a carriage. He kept his mind focused as hard as he could, but it was no use.  
  
"Severus," she said for the fifth time, "You enjoyed yourself. I could tell. I don't understand why you keep telling me you didn't when you know I can always tell."  
  
He heaved a sigh and gave in. "Alright. Things weren't so bad once the hexes started flying, I suppose."  
  
At this comment, she chuckled. It had been very funny to see that little green-headed duck appear in front of Black. "Yes, well, we're going to pay dearly for that when the house elves tell your father." Severus rolled his eyes and they fell silent.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
The professors were giving them more and more homework. Muriel even skipped the Hufflepuff / Slytherin Quiddich match in January to try and get ahead. Hufflepuff hadn't beaten Slytherin for over a century anyway. As Muriel sat in History of Magic, listening half-heartedly to Professor Binns talk about the importance of next year's O.W.L.s, she was startled by a sharp knock on the classroom door.  
  
Professor Dumbledore, his eyes grave, politely asked the ghost if he could speak with Deesia and Hawthorne, a Gryffindor girl that Mur had never bothered to talk to. Mur gathered up her books and silently followed him into the hall.  
  
When he turned and handed each of them an envelope, she stared at him distrustfully. The other girl took the black envelope from him, confused, but obviously not understanding. Mur took hers as well, thanked him stiffly and went back to her class before Hawthorne could start crying. Dumbledore didn't stop her. She made sure the envelope was out of sight before she pushed open the door, closed it quickly, and sat down again to take notes. Hawthorne never came back.  
  
She felt people's attention straying to her several times during class, but wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing the envelope. The silver handwriting on the front had been her father's, so she already knew what information it contained. She would prefer that no one else found out.  
  
It was nearly midnight when she got back to Ravenclaw tower. She had hidden in the passageway behind the mirror on the fourth floor for hours, reading and rereading her father's letter. She could tell that there was information missing. Her mother had been killed by Aurors during an attack on the parents of several mud bloods. "Which Auror killed her, Papa?" she had whispered to herself, over and over. But there was no answer to that question and never would be.  
  
Mrs. Deesia had been a loving, vibrant person once, when Muriel was very small. It was difficult to understand how she'd become the cold, distant woman she had been the day she died.  
  
As she made her way up the stairs, Mur fingered the pouch in her pocket that Severus had given her the day before. Little pills for turning Mrs. Norris green. He'd tested them on himself to make sure that they didn't have any side effects this time. They'd had a bad experience with color change potions and he wasn't anxious to repeat it. She let one fall outside Filch's office door just for fun, though no smile graced her features.  
  
She tried hard to concentrate on this trivial prank, but her mind seemed to be stuck on the image of her parent's wedding portrait. It hung beside their fireplace, and she had spent a good deal of time looking at it over the summer. She had been trying to reconcile that happy, beautiful woman who waved and winked at her with the dark mark she'd seen.  
  
Mur climbed into bed. In her mind the image of the dark mark floated over her parents' wedding portrait and she fell asleep on a pillow wet with tears, not for the last time.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
As usual, Mur was the first person to arrive in the great hall for breakfast. Since the day she'd received her father's letter, she had come to breakfast early and left late each morning. Her dorm mates seemed to understand, and left her alone. Severus had written home that first day and Mrs. Snape had told him what was wrong. Muriel was grateful. It meant she didn't have to explain it. Even the marauders had stopped hexing her. She supposed Sirius had gotten the news from his parents.  
  
The Hawthorne girl and two Hufflepuffs had received similar letters that day, and it was because her mother and others had attacked them. Muriel felt the weight of that like lead in her shoes as she climbed the stairs to Divination. She hadn't written in her dream diary at all since that day, but the professor didn't scold her. He seemed to note the date of her last entry, then nodded and moved on. Mur hung her head. She rarely turned in an assignment incomplete, but she wasn't going to write down the dream image that had haunted her.  
  
"What if it had been Marisa's father?" she whispered to Severus in potions. "Or Kyle's mum? How would I ever have been able to face them again?" He looked up sharply. They had been avoiding any conversation about her mother for two weeks. Now she wanted to talk about it in a room full of Slytherins? For a minute he thought she'd gone crazy. But she was silent again for the rest of the class, and left the building for her Care of Magical Creatures lesson without another word. It was during this class that she received another unexpected letter.  
  
Muriel, Your Aunt Rosa is coming for a weekend visit. I have already owled Dumbledore, and he has agreed to let you come home while she is here. I will be up to the school to get you Friday after your classes. Papa  
  
Severus spent the weekend in his room, worrying. Muriel was upset enough without having to go home and see that her mother really wasn't there. He didn't realize that more than anything, that's what she needed. She needed a reason to believe in the reality of it, and watching Papa and Aunt Rosa go through her mother's things gave her nothing, if not reality.  
  
It would have been a perfect trip, really, if it hadn't been for the boggart that had moved into a drawer in the kitchen. Muriel came downstairs the first morning and opened the drawer only to have her mother, alive and covered in dark marks, appear in front of her. The hideous burnt spots were all over her, except for her face. Thankfully, Mur had learned to deal with boggarts years ago. But what would make this funny? Maybe if the spots were pink bunnies instead of skulls and snakes. She thought hard of that. "Riddikulus!" she said, raising her wand.  
  
But she couldn't bring herself to laugh, even at her mother covered in pink bunnies. It just wasn't funny enough. The boggart got confused, however, and she had time to grab a pan and slam it over the creature's head. Her mother disappeared and the boggart shrank until she had it trapped under the pan. Then she ran for a box. She was sure she could find a good use for that boggart once she got back to school.  
  
What she learned from her trip home was that her mother had been no more or less than she had been, and that there was no guilt necessary if she really felt she didn't need to mourn anymore. She had watched her father mourn the loss of his wife long before she had died. He did not do so anymore. If anything, he seemed to be more at ease than she had ever seen him. It would be just the two of them now, and Muriel thought that would work out well. 


	10. Chapter 10 Boggarts And Broomclosets Don...

Chapter 10 ~ Boggarts and Broom Closets Don't Mix  
  
Her father let her apparate to Hogsmeade alone. She wanted to think as she walked back to the castle. She clutched the boxed boggart tightly to her side as she trudged along, her trunk following. She meant to think about her mother, but found that she'd exhausted all her thoughts on the matter. It was over. Her mother had lived and died in the service of Lord Voldemort and been a very cold woman in between. Papa wasn't dwelling on it, and Muriel wouldn't either.  
  
Instead she thought about Severus. He'd been acting very strangely ever since the Christmas party, beginning with trying to tell her he'd had no fun. It wasn't like him to lie like that, at least not to her.  
  
To everyone else he was the same insufferable git he'd always been. He hexed Potter and Black every chance he got. She smiled. He'd been leaving Peter Pettigrew alone lately. The boy was so pathetic that even Severus felt a little guilty hexing him. She'd noticed that he wasn't cursing Remus much anymore either. He'd asked her about Remus several times, but as they hadn't really spoken much since second year, she'd had little to tell him. And she wasn't going to tell him the one thing she DID know.  
  
But there was definitely something going on with him. Sometimes he looked as though he was deep in thought, but she couldn't hear anything going on in his head at all.  
  
The boggart shook the box a little and she held it more tightly, letting a smirk creep across her face. Maybe he needed a little shock to get him back to normal? She had just the thing. After she took her trunk up to Ravenclaw tower, and greeted her roommates, she put the box under her arm again and set off for the Slytherin dungeons. She ran into Bernice Rollens, a 2nd year half-blood who really didn't have any business being in Slytherin anyway, and forced the password from her. She was almost there when she stopped dead and flattened herself against the wall. Professor Warrington had just rounded the corner up ahead, chatting pleasantly with the Ravenclaw prefect. She cast her invisibility charm before she realized that it didn't work on boggarts, and the squirming thing (Yuck! Who knew they were so disgusting when they thought no one could see them?) appeared to be floating in midair. Panicking, she opened the nearest door and threw the box inside.  
  
She was about to run, since the closing door had caught the professor's attention, when she heard a hoarse shout followed by a piercing scream. Smiling widely, she backed against the wall again, keeping herself invisible.  
  
She watched as Professor Warrington threw open the door to the broom closet, and nearly laughed out loud when she saw who was in there. Malfoy Sr., his face red with anger, towered over a cringing Lucius Malfoy, shouting furiously about the impropriety of being caught snogging in a broom closet. Narcissa was crying, her lips puffy and bruised.  
  
Professor Warrington knew immediately that it couldn't REALLY be Mr. Malfoy, so he cast a riddikulus charm on the boggart, turning Mr. Malfoy into a tomato with a shock of blond hair where the stem should be.  
  
Professor Warrington and the Ravenclaw prefect laughed loudly and the boggart disappeared with a POP! Malfoy was beside himself, and trying desperately to master his fear. Narcissa was drying her eyes, and looked both relieved and amused.  
  
But Professor Warrington no longer looked amused at all. Muriel held her sides and shook as he told off the Head Boy for snogging in a broom closet, gave them both detention, and stormed off toward his office. Her silent giggles stopped abruptly however, as Malfoy bent down and picked up the box she'd thrown. Aunt Rosa had sent her a present in that box once, and the address was probably on it.  
  
"Deesia." He said in a dangerous voice, showing the box to Narcissa. They both looked around angrily before stomping off to their common room, box still in hand.  
  
Mur dropped her spell as soon as they were out of sight. It was the longest she'd ever held it, and it drained her horribly, but it had all been worth it. She couldn't wait to tell Severus. 


	11. Chapter 11 Detention

Chapter 11 ~ Detention  
  
"I heard all about it," Severus said, cutting off Muriel's story. "Malfoy threw the box at me and stomped off in a rage. Narcissa explained the whole thing."  
  
Muriel was still laughing, in spite of Sev's obvious lack of mirth. Although the snow had melted, the grounds were cold as they walked toward the lake. No one else was outside, which made it the perfect opportunity to talk about Malfoy's boggart.  
  
"Did she tell you that Warrington turned the boggart into a tomato with blond hair? That was the best part. If Malfoy's father ever hears about it there'll be hell to pay for Warrington!"  
  
Severus looked over at his friend. He was amazed at how the trip home had helped her. She was still sad sometimes, and she avoided the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindor who had lost their parents as if her life depended on it, but otherwise she seemed back to normal.  
  
He let her take his hand as they stood looking at the lake. It was still covered in a thin sheet of ice, so there was no squid to watch, but it gave him something to look at besides her. Papa said he was doing very well with Occlumency. He'd been able to report that he'd gotten away with several white lies to Muriel in the last few weeks, and Papa had seemed pleased. He'd sent still more books, and Severus was studying them as hard as he could.  
  
He was excited that he could at least hold her hand without her hearing his thoughts, but he was starting to worry about her ability to sense emotions as well. Obviously she knew, and had always known, exactly how he felt about her. When he'd asked Papa about it, he'd only said that emotions would come later, and be a good deal more difficult. But Severus knew he could do it. If he could stand here and look her in the eye, thinking about Occlumency without giving himself away, then he could close her out entirely. It would just take some time.  
  
Mur looked up at him questioningly. "Severus, are you alright?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Of course. Just wondering if you've tried out any of those pills on Mrs. Norris yet."  
  
She looked at him oddly for a moment. "I dropped a few outside Filch's office, but didn't stick around to see if they worked. We could try tonight if you want. I think I can keep us invisible long enough to watch."  
  
He smirked. It was working. "Okay. I'll meet you in Myrtle's bathroom after dinner. They usually hang around the Great Hall once the kids leave. It would be really funny if he could be there when it happens." They laughed and headed back up to the castle.  
  
They stood in the entrance hall for a moment, rubbing their frozen hands. "Oh, I got an owl from Mother. She wants me to come for Easter." Severus had been meaning to mention this for a week, but didn't want to upset her with talk of going home. Sure enough, her face fell. "She asked if you wanted to come too," he added anyway. It wouldn't do to not invite her at all, even if he was sure she wouldn't come.  
  
"I don't think I can, Sev," she said apologetically. "Papa won't be home, and I'm not ready to be there yet without him."  
  
He nodded. "It's alright. I'll probably just catch up on homework anyway." She smiled, grateful that he understood, then headed up to her dorm to change for dinner. She was dressed much too warmly to be comfortable in the Great Hall!  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"I'm staying," Peter announced morosely as he plopped down beside Remus. He hated staying at school for the holidays. All his friends went home.  
  
"Great, so are we!" James said happily, making him look up sharply.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, Prongs' parents are going away for the holiday so we're stuck here. We sure aren't going to my place!" Sirius had finished his first plate of food and was working on the next. He was proud of James, who'd been the first among them to master his animagus form, and had taken to calling him Prongs. He was jealous because James and Remus had already spent a full moon in the shrieking shack without him, but that only served to intensify his desire to get it right.  
  
James had given him all the advice he could, but there was still something he wasn't getting. Transfiguration just wasn't his best subject, in spite of his grades. He looked up as Muriel walked by on her way to the Ravenclaw table. A glance around the room told him Snape hadn't come in yet.  
  
"Deesia?" he said, jumping up and following her. She spun around with her wand in her hand so fast that he nearly ran into her. His dorm mates looked on, wondering what he could possibly be up to. He usually at least warned them before he started a prank.  
  
"Easy!" he said, smiling. "I was just looking for some information and I remembered you were good at transfiguration, so I thought maybe you could help me." Muriel narrowed her eyes before casting a look around. She wasn't really inclined to help Black with anything after the near fiasco at Christmas.  
  
"Come on, if you can dance three songs with me, you can surely stand to have me around long enough to answer one question." He gave her what he hoped was a winning smile.  
  
Had she really danced with him through three songs? She shook her head to clear it. It didn't matter. "Alright, Black, what do you want to know that James can't tell you? He's top of the class, and you and I aren't far behind him, so I can't imagine that you think I know anything the two of you don't."  
  
"But you do," he said quickly. "I haven't ever transfigured a person before. What do you have to do differently from animals?"  
  
She couldn't help but scoff. "Do you honestly think I WANT you to know how to turn me into a duck? Sorry Black. If you want to get back at me for that one, you've got to do it on your own." She skipped back to her table, for the first time, wondering why she had let herself dance with that boy. It had obviously inflated his already over-large ego.  
  
Marisa had watched the entire exchange with a smile on her face. Her experience with Sirius had gotten her well past the crush she once had on him, but it didn't stop her from noticing how haughty Muriel looked talking to him, or the pleasure she obviously had in goading him. She had also noticed, after Muriel turned her back on him, the odd look on Sirius' face. She determinedly thought about her food as Mur sat down. No reason to upset her already.  
  
As for Sirius, he decided right then and there that Muriel wasn't in the least upset about her mother anymore, which made her fair game for his hexes again. He wasted no time in planning the next prank. He was very comfortable with their ongoing duel, and would be glad to get back to it.  
  
It was this that found them both sitting at opposite ends of Professor Tantry's classroom all day the following Saturday while their friends went to Hogsmeade. Sirius had tried to hit her all week with various curses, and Mur had cast shield charms to block them. Unfortunately most of his hexes had hit the people nearest him, since she'd been trying to aim them back at him. James caught two, and Remus took one that didn't affect him, but neither of them would have told. It was when Lily, who James had finally convinced to walk with them to class, got hit with a bat bogey hex that the whole thing came crashing down. The bats had scratched her face and neck and scared her half to death.  
  
Peter had been sent for Madam Pomfrey and told her that Muriel had cast the hex. She and the marauders had been sent to Dumbledore's office for a long interrogation. It was James who told the Headmaster the truth, apparently with Sirius' and Remus' consent. Muriel had been surprised. They could easily have pinned the whole thing on her, and she certainly felt bad enough about it as it was. Lily hadn't done anything to deserve that hex.  
  
She was startled out of her thoughts when a piece of parchment landed with a swish on top of the book she'd been reading. She frowned, reading it over quickly.  
  
"How did you turn me into a duck? I managed the hamster, but couldn't change Peter into one, even though I know the incantation is a little different. What else has to change?"  
  
She hid the parchment quickly as Professor Tantry came downstairs from his office, and went back to her book: Common Punishments for Careless Spellcasters. Sirius had apparently been given the same book. She was sure the book itself had been written to be a punishment. It was as dull as a flobberworm circus.  
  
Professor Tantry looked at the two students hard. He'd just been summoned to the Headmaster's office and wondered if it would be safe to leave them here together. But they both seemed perfectly well interested in their books, so he continued out of the classroom, closing the door softly behind him.  
  
Sirius turned around in his chair immediately. "Well?"  
  
She ignored him.  
  
"Mur, come on, I know you can tell me how to do it!" Somehow, Sirius was sure that if he could just understand this one thing, it would help him become an animagi. Then he could join Remus and James at the next full moon.  
  
She sighed and put her book aside. "You have to have an understanding of someone to transform him. I probably wouldn't be able to cast it on Professor Tantry, because I don't know him very well. But YOU I understand just fine. It's about knowing deep down what someone is like."  
  
Sirius was looking at her incredulously. How could she know deep down what he was like? They'd hardly ever spoken. And could that apply to animagi transformations too? Maybe there were some things he wasn't admitting about himself that were getting in his way.  
  
Muriel fought back a smile. He was trying to become an animagus. No wonder he wanted all the information he could get. She picked up her book again and smirked at the words, not reading them.  
  
"You don't understand me!" he exclaimed heatedly. She raised an eyebrow and lowered her book again, still smirking.  
  
"I understand that you're an egotistical prat trying desperately to convince the world that your mother's indifference doesn't hurt you," she said forcefully, realizing at once that the reason she understood this about him was that it described her as well.  
  
She plastered a grin on her face as he sputtered, unable to come up with a suitable response. "Apparently that was enough understanding to make the spell work," she said smugly, ignoring the wrenching feeling in her chest. Had her own mother's coldness really mattered to her so much? She pushed the feeling aside and concentrated on the anger emanating from Sirius instead.  
  
He turned around sharply in his seat and picked up the book again, furious with himself for even talking to her. Muriel finished the book half an hour later and left a note in it for Professor Tantry before heading back to Ravenclaw tower. It was nearly time for dinner, and she was pleased. That little exchange had been better than a prank. She could tell that he hadn't read another word in the book until after she'd left, because he was so angry. 


	12. Chapter 12 Unforgivable

Chapter 12 ~ Unforgivable  
  
Muriel walked sullenly back from the library, her arms loaded with books. She wished Severus hadn't gone home for the Easter holiday. She wondered fleetingly if Remus had stayed. She'd barely talked with him since the end of their second year when he'd helped Black, Potter and Pettigrew pull a particularly painful prank on her. She wasn't angry anymore, though. She was just lonely. An entire week without Severus seemed like a long time, even if he had been acting strangely lately.  
  
She was thinking so hard that she didn't realize anyone was near her until a heavy hand fell on her shoulder and spun her roughly around. Her books scattered. "Avery!" she exclaimed. "What do you want?"  
  
He didn't answer, but put a hand on each of her shoulders and pushed her hard against the wall. Muriel's eyes closed involuntarily when her head hit the stone. She tried instinctively to reach for her wand, but he was too close. Desperate, she tried to shove him away.  
  
"Well, Deesia, it looks like your beloved Snape is a little out of your reach this time," Avery sneered. "You filthy blood traitor. How does it feel not to have anyone to protect you for once?"  
  
"If you're still sore about last year's Christmas party - " she began, intending to apologize for the huge block of ice that had knocked him out last year. She hoped it was that, and that he wasn't starting to remember THIS year's Christmas party.  
  
But the tall 6th year Slytherin cut her off. "Funny you should bring it up. I was just thinking that maybe it was time to pick up where we left off."  
  
Muriel's eyes widened. She had convinced herself that Avery hadn't meant anything by his crude remark. She turned her head as he bent to kiss her. "Get off me!" she exclaimed. She was painfully aware that being a Quiddich beater had made him an awful lot stronger than she was. If only she could get to her wand. She struggled harder, and the older boy laughed.  
  
"Have you seen the Slytherin dormitories yet, Deesia? Maybe I could give you a little tour."  
  
Muriel nearly wretched at the thoughts going through Avery's head as he took her by the wrists and pulled her back toward the library. She was panicking now. If she couldn't reach her wand, she wasn't going to be able to get away. She heard footsteps behind her, but couldn't turn to see who was there.  
  
"Help me, please!" she called, but the footsteps only pounded away in the distance as Avery sniggered wickedly. She hadn't been able to get any idea who it was, feeling only a flash of surprise, and then fear. 'Probably afraid of Avery,' she thought angrily. But at just this moment she was afraid of Avery too. She strained against his grip, but it was no use.  
  
"You know what'll really be fun?" Avery sneered when they finally reached the portrait that concealed the Slytherin common room. He pulled her wrists harder and she heard a sickening pop. She tried not to wince with the pain as she fell toward him.  
  
"We'll use Snape's bed," he whispered.  
  
But as he turned to the portrait to say the password, Muriel heard a whisper behind her. She ducked instinctively and felt a spell whiz over her head. Avery dropped her wrists and fell to the floor, eyes open, but unable to move.  
  
Muriel spun on the spot, breathing heavily. No one was there. No one was anywhere nearby. She looked back down at Avery. Suppressing the urge to do him any serious damage, she ran toward the hospital wing. Her wrist throbbed painfully, but she paused on the stairs.  
  
"Whoever you are, thank you," she whispered. She paused for a minute before adding, "again." No one answered.  
  
But she already knew who he was. She didn't know how he had come to be there, or why he had helped her, but she knew that somewhere in that corridor, Sirius Black was standing under an invisibility cloak.  
  
When he was sure she was gone, Sirius took off the cloak and performed a variety of unpleasant hexes on the stunned Slytherin, then left him blocking the portrait hole.  
  
"Thanks, James," he said, arriving unceremoniously in his dorm and tossing the cloak down on his friend's bed.  
  
"Is she alright?" Peter asked quietly. He'd run for their dorm as soon as he saw Avery grab Deesia, not knowing if any of the teachers would be in their offices over the holiday.  
  
"She's fine. Probably a dislocated wrist, but nothing worse." Sirius threw himself down on his own bed and grabbed a book from his table. He read a few pages, knowing he'd remember it later, no matter how distracted he was right now.  
  
"It will be the ultimate prank when you tell her it was you!" James said, imagining the horrified look on Deesia's face when she found out that she owed something to Sirius.  
  
"I'm not GOING to tell her, James. And neither are you. She'll have to figure it out for herself." He hadn't told any of his mates about the prank he'd pulled on her in their first year. Remus had known, of course, but he'd been wise enough not to mention it again. If Muriel found out it was him this time, she'd know it had been him that time, too.  
  
Sirius noticed James giving him a funny look. "WHAT? I like things the way they are. If she ever thanked me, I wouldn't have anyone to practice new hexes on anymore!" At this James and Sirius both laughed. Even Peter joined in, when he realized that Sirius wasn't angry.  
  
"What did he want with her?" James asked, suddenly somber.  
  
Sirius put the book in front of his face. "Who knows? I just hexed him and got out of there, I didn't wait around to hear what they were saying." That wasn't exactly true. He'd heard enough to figure out what Avery intended. He made a mental note to use Avery for target practice for the last few weeks of school. 


	13. Chapter 13 Breaking and Entering

Chapter 13 ~ Breaking and Entering  
  
Hiding things from Severus was getting to be more and more difficult. Muriel sat in her room, remembering all the awful things Avery had done to her that she'd never told Sev about, and wondering how she was going to hide this one. Obviously Black wouldn't say anything, but she could hardly hide that fact that every time Avery's name was mentioned she turned red in the face and reached for her wand.  
  
She hadn't left her room at all since that first day of break, and Severus would be back tomorrow. She massaged her wrist again. And as if she didn't have enough to worry about, she couldn't stop thinking about Black. She'd been nothing but mean to him in detention last week, and yet he'd hexed Avery for her. How had he known that she was in trouble? Why had he even cared?  
  
Severus ran up to Ravenclaw tower as soon as his trunk was in his room Sunday night. Avery had tried to hex him when he came in the common room, and he hadn't chosen a very friendly hex, either. He was sure something had happened, and since Avery was now unconscious, he wanted to track down Mur.  
  
Several of her house mates were just getting back, so he asked them to send her down, then waited nearly an hour in the empty corridor. Finally he got impatient and banged on the portrait, wishing he'd heard their password. One of the 7th year girls narrowed her eyes at him when he asked to see Muriel, but let him in when Marisa came over and vouched for him.  
  
"She isn't coming down, Severus," Marisa said quietly. "I don't know what happened over break, but when Vanessa told her you were here, she didn't answer. We know she's in there, though, she's got her curtains charmed to bite anyone who touches them."  
  
Severus smirked. He was glad now that he'd asked Malfoy how to get past the girls' dormitory trick staircase. "Marisa, could you run upstairs and bring me her broom?"  
  
When she came back downstairs, she was holding a mahogany handled broomstick that looked very well taken care of. It was certainly not Mur's shooting star, however. "Vanessa says you can borrow Kyle's," she said, with a look at the boy in question. Kyle nodded mutely from across the room and she continued, "Mur's is under her bed and she wasn't very happy when I asked her to lend it to me. I think she knows you're on your way."  
  
Severus hoped Kyle's broom was fast enough to get him past the secondary defenses that would go up once he started. "Which room?"  
  
"Third landing on the right," she replied as he mounted the broom. He nodded once. By now, everyone in the common room was smirking at him. Most of the older boys had tried this once or twice, but they didn't have the benefit of Malfoy's rather extensive experience.  
  
He kicked off hard in the direction of the stairs, casting a shield charm around himself. The stairs turned into a slide immediately when he flew over the first stair, and several spells shot out of the marble ravens that graced the first landing. He managed to dodge them, but the spells from the second landing glanced off his shield charm, which he recast before he reached the door.  
  
He kept is wand ready and shouted "Alohamora," as soon as her door was in sight, flying fast through it as it opened. Stunning spells from the ravens on the third landing chased him into the room, but he pulled up hard, and they hit the curtains of the first bed instead. He dismounted fast and closed the door, panting a bit. He leaned Kyle's broom against the wall and took a look around. Only one bed had its curtains pulled closed, so he approached it, cautiously.  
  
Sure enough the bloody curtains tried to bite him when he reached out his hand. "Finite Incantem," he said, laughingly. The curtains fell harmlessly back around the bed and he heard Muriel swear.  
  
"You know the sad thing is that not a soul in my house thought of that," she said wryly as he pulled back the curtains. He laughed, but became somber quickly, remembering why he'd come.  
  
"Why are you hiding, Mur?"  
  
That was when the tears started. She had spent the entire break thinking, but hadn't cried at all. Severus was nearly knocked off his feet at the fury and pain that seemed to pour out of her. He did his best to set up wards around his mind as she stood up and threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shirt.  
  
She told him everything, from the time Avery had tried to vanish her skirt when she was 10 to his comment at last year's Christmas party at the Rosiers'. All his jeering remarks, and lastly what had happened the first day of break.  
  
When she was finally done crying, she sat back down on the bed, wiping her eyes. Severus was relieved that she'd let him go. His shirt was soaked, and he'd never seen anyone cry like that, least of all his best friend, who had never let herself cry over anything for more than a few minutes. He found himself pacing the room as he contemplated exactly how he could murder Avery without getting sent to Azkaban. Obviously he couldn't use his wand, it would give him away.  
  
"Severus?" Mur said quietly. He continued to pace until finally she laughed at him a little. That startled him out of his thoughts.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, you can't murder Avery until we're all out of school. I'm starving, can we get some food?" Severus looked startled. He had hoped his Occlumency was coming along well enough that she wouldn't hear him thinking all that. It occurred to him that perhaps she hadn't heard him. Perhaps she just knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. Or maybe she was thinking it herself.  
  
Muriel was digging under her bed. "Here, go out the window so the ravens outside don't stun you when I open the door." She handed him her broom.  
  
He nodded. "I'll meet you outside the portrait. You aren't walking anywhere alone."  
  
She smiled. "Thanks, Sev." She closed the window behind him and picked up Kyle's broom. The staircase had reverted to normal, and the common room fell silent when she entered. She didn't feel much like talking, although she knew it would be obvious that she'd been crying.  
  
"I sent him out the window so he wouldn't get stunned." She handed Kyle his broom.  
  
"That was a nice piece of flying," Kyle said quietly in answer. "Anyone who can dodge like that should be a seeker." Muriel nodded and managed a small smile. Severus had just corrupted most of her house, she knew. She sat quietly with Marisa until Severus started pounding on the portrait again. Dinner wouldn't start for another half an hour, but it would be good to get there early. She'd barely eaten all week, since she'd been trying to avoid Avery.  
  
They sat silently at the Ravenclaw table, which was why they were so startled when several shouts rang out in the hallway. A moment later the marauders walked in, looking very smug indeed. Muriel hadn't told Severus who had been under the cloak, only that she was sure it was the same person who had caught her on the stairs in their first year. But she smiled a little more as the food appeared. Obviously the marauders had done something awful to Avery a moment ago. It was grimly satisfying to have the Hogwarts demolition team helping with her vendetta. 


	14. Chapter 14 Going Home

Chapter 14 ~ Going Home  
  
"Do you know, I think you set a record this year, Avery." Voices drifted past the train compartment that Severus and Muriel shared on the way home. "In the last two months of school you spent more time in the Black and Deesia Ward than Black and Deesia combined."  
  
"Stuff it, Minchew," came the sullen reply. Muriel grinned. She'd restrained herself from hexing the marauders, taking all her frustration and putting it into the worst hexes she could get away with casting on Avery. Severus had done the same, although he still went out of his way to get Potter once in a while. Muriel had noticed that the marauders were having their fun at Avery's expense as well. Which was good, because she was still just fragile enough that one good hex would have landed all four of them quacking on the floor.  
  
She was just contemplating this when Sirius' head appeared in their compartment door. "What do you want, Black?" Severus growled. Muriel made a show of pulling out her wand. He wouldn't be there if he didn't want trouble, and she intended to be ready for it. He was grinning like an idiot, but didn't answer.  
  
"Would you like to be a green duck this time, or did you prefer black," she asked quietly. She kept a conversational tone of voice, but his smile vanished anyway as Severus smirked.  
  
Sirius had made James stay in their compartment so he could get a few last minute hexes in on Avery. He had thought that Muriel might enjoy seeing the result, which was now oozing across the corridor floor, trying to get back to its cabin. But he knew he couldn't tell them that.  
  
As he thought this, Muriel couldn't help but smile. Severus, however was scowling angrily.  
  
"Easy, Mur," Sirius answered, then he smiled at her again before turning to Severus. "I just thought Snape might want to help his fellow Slytherin. It seems he had some sort of unpleasant encounter in the hall, here." He stepped back so they could see. Severus came to the door, while Muriel, who already knew the answer, asked him exactly which Slytherin it was.  
  
Sirius calmly told her that he didn't know, not realizing how entirely transparent he was. Muriel could tell that he was horribly pleased with himself. 'What an arrogant prat!" she couldn't help thinking. 'Still, Avery looks thoroughly miserable, and that's worth something.'  
  
She looked at the partially transfigured slug that was half scampering, half oozing across the floor. "Still not so good with human transfiguration, Black?" she asked casually. She turned to him and looked him in the eye for the first time since Christmas. Odd, she'd never noticed how bright his dark eyes were. "That's Avery. What you have to know about him is that he really is slime, all the way through." A swish and flick later a complete slug rolled across the floor. Muriel put her wand in her pocket and returned to the compartment, followed by Severus, who was chuckling in spite of himself. Who would have thought Sirius Black would be useful for anything?  
  
A moment later they both grinned widely as a shriek from the hallway shattered the quiet. Someone had found Avery. Sev got up to lock their compartment door. He didn't know if Avery would remember who had completed his transformation into a slug, but he didn't want him barging in later to pay them back if he did.  
  
"Are you going to Aunt Rosa's at all this summer?" Severus asked, breaking out a game of gobstones. Maybe he and Papa would have some time to practice Occlumency this summer.  
  
"I don't want to play that, I've seen enough goo for one day. Don't you have exploding snap?"  
  
"No, but you do," Severus answered, digging around in Muriel's trunk instead.  
  
"I think I'm just going to stay home this summer. Papa doesn't want me to go after the problems there over Christmas. Besides, I've had enough excitement this year. What about you, are you going anywhere on holiday?"  
  
"I doubt it. It will be holiday enough if Father doesn't come home. He's still away since Easter." Severus said as he dealt the cards.  
  
Their game was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. They both pulled out their wands. "Sev?" Severus put his wand away and opened the door. Malfoy was standing in the doorway, a piece of parchment in his hand. "I meant to catch you earlier but – "he stopped, seeing Muriel, whose wand was still drawn, looking at him curiously. The usual sneer was on his face in an instant and his mind snapped closed. Muriel only shook her head.  
  
Malfoy thought briefly then formed his words carefully. "Just wanted to let you know that I'll probably finish that book you leant me tonight," he said pointedly.  
  
"Well, owl it back to me anytime. I'm always home." Severus kept his voice carefully neutral, and his mind as sealed as he could make it. Lucius obviously didn't want to share this particular secret.  
  
"Right. Have a pleasant holiday." With that, Lucius Malfoy strode back down the corridor, stepping over Avery and around the people who were trying to transform him back. Minchew called to him when he was halfway down the corridor.  
  
"Malfoy, do you know how to reverse this?"  
  
Severus let a smile creep over his face as Lucius sneered coldly at the boy. "Of course I do you poncy idiot." Then he continued down the corridor and stepped into the compartment where Narcissa had been waiting for him. Severus closed the door, still grinning. Muriel was looking out the window, wondering at Malfoy's civility. He had yet to say anything about the boggart, though she knew he was aware of her involvement. She wondered again about the tall blond's loyalties. She knew Riddle didn't care how old you were, only whether you were willing. Perhaps he'd already taken the mark. Yet he seemed far more pleasant than she recalled from the beginning of the year. It bore thinking on.  
  
"Do you think Papa took the mark when Mother did?" Mur asked finally, not turning to look at Severus. He paused, then joined her on her bench, not sure how her mind had made the jump to this particular topic. "I'm going to find out this summer," she added. Severus wasn't inclined to think that was a very good idea, but said nothing.  
  
FIN  
  
A/N: Year 5 for Severus and Muriel has already been written and will be posted as a new fic shortly! Look for it under my user ID: 468209, along with all my other fics! Each one is numbered in the title, so if you picked up in the middle, you should be able to go back and catch the beginning. 


End file.
